Rangers lose to Senators in Patrick Kane's debut
Patrick Kane of the Rangers plays the puck during the second period against Thomas Chabot of the Senators at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
What Patrick Kane called “an amazing opportunity” began on Thursday night as the new Rangers forward made his debut in front of a rabid crowd at the Garden.
Kane did not have a point and had four shots on goal in 19:36 of ice time as the Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators, 5-3. Ottawa, which has won four in a row, overcame a 3-2 deficit with a three-goal third period.
Kane skated on a line with former Chicago linemate Artemi Panarin and center Vincent Trocheck and played on the Rangers’ first power-play unit.
It had to be fun for Kane to get a rousing ovation when he emerged during pregame warmups. If he had time to check the Garden gift shops, he would have seen “Kane 88” jerseys fly off the racks as quickly as staffers could stock them.
“It was awesome,” Kane said. “The crowd and coming out for warmups, pregame introduction. First game as a Ranger, it was a pretty cool experience. Obviously, would have liked to have played a little better and come out with a win, but hopefully it’ll come.”
Rangers fans figure to have a lot to celebrate after all the hoops the team had to jump through to bring Kane on board, and Kane — while expecting a few butterflies before his first NHL game for someone other than Chicago — was expecting to have plenty of fun, too.
“I just feel like this is such an amazing opportunity with what they have going on here in New York,’’ he said. “When the option was still there to possibly make a move . . . it wasn’t the easiest decision [to agree to be traded], but I’m just really excited to be here. And with this team, with the amount of skill and good players they have here, it’s just another chance to make a run.”
Kane, 34, won three Stanley Cups and a Hart Trophy as league MVP while with Chicago, but after 16 years and with the organization having decided to rebuild, it was time to go. Armed with a no-move clause in his contract, he had the leverage to decide if and where he would be traded, and he wanted the Rangers.
“I just think they’re a great team,’’ he said. “They obviously had a great run [to the Eastern Conference Final] last year. It seems like expectations are pretty high around here this year as well. So I think it’s a good thing. It’s good to have those expectations and have people thinking that you’re going to win.”
After the Rangers didn’t win in his debut, Kane still was grateful for the welcome he received.
“It’s a special place to play,” he said. “Original Six franchise. New York Rangers. Playing in MSG and to get a reception like that, it’s something I’ll never forget.”
After Chris Kreider gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded breakaway goal at 6:31 of the first period, Kane had his first moment of impact. He fed Panarin for a good look, but Panarin was stopped by former Rangers goalie Cam Talbot (29 saves).
Kane and Co. got some more chances during a five-minute power play later in the first after Ottawa’s Austin Watson was given a game misconduct for charging Tyler Motte and hitting him in the head with his shoulder and elbow. Motte did not return with what the Rangers called an upper-body injury.
Talbot stopped every shot on the lengthy power play. But it was a fun five minutes full of energy for the home crowd.
Kane looked more eager to pass than shoot. During that power play, he had the puck and the crowd was yelling “Shoot!” But Kane passed to Adam Fox.
Kane said maybe he was passing too much. Coach Gerard Gallant was more blunt, saying of the whole team, “Trying to be too pretty and too many passes.”
The Rangers didn’t score on their first three power plays totaling nine minutes, and it cost them when Ottawa scored twice in 21 seconds in the second to take a 2-1 lead.
The goals were by Franklin Square native Shane Pinto (16th of the season) and former Ranger Derick Brassard, who earlier was congratulated by the Rangers and the crowd for playing in his 1,000th NHL game (254 of them for the Rangers).
The Rangers tied it on a backhander by Jacob Trouba at 12:15. Vladimir Tarasenko — the Rangers’ other big recent acquisition — made it 3-2 at 14:54 with his fourth goal in 11 games since the trade.
Brassard tied it at 3 just 1:35 into the third. Claude Giroux beat Jaroslav Halak (29 saves) 1:51 later to give Ottawa the lead again at 4-3.
Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk appeared to make it 5-3 less than two minutes later. Gallant challenged, saying Tkachuk was offside, and the goal was disallowed.
Kane had a chance to tie it with 4:33 left, but Talbot saved his shot attempt from in front.
Tim Stutzle scored into an empty net with 2:42 to go to make it 5-3.
With Colin Stephenson
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
