Rangers 4, Senators 1

[January 20, 2014]  OTTAWA, Ontario — Rangers 4, Senators 1: Derek Stepan scored to snap a 13-game goalless drought and added two assists as visiting New York improved to 6-1-1 in its last eight contests.

Rick Nash tallied for the fifth time in seven outings and Brad Richards and Mats Zuccarello netted their respective team-leading 13th goals for the Rangers, who ended a five-game losing streak to Ottawa. Rookie Cam Talbot made his first start in two weeks and turned aside 29 shots to improve to 7-2-0 on the road — and 6-0-0 on Saturdays.

Defenseman Marc Methot scored and Craig Anderson finished with 27 saves for the Senators, who suffered their first regulation loss in nine outings (6-1-2).

New York seized a 2-1 lead as Stepan chipped the puck ahead to spring Nash on a breakaway. Nash breezed up the right wing and wristed a shot from the circle that sailed under the crossbar at 12:45 of the second period. Stepan scored his first goal since Dec. 20 after converting Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson's turnover into a 3-1 lead with 12 seconds remaining in the session.

Methot unleashed a blast from the top of the left circle to open the scoring at 3:37 of the first period before Richards forged a tie over six minutes later. The veteran accepted a brilliant feed across the goal mouth from Stepan and lifted a shot past Anderson for a power-play goal.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Zuccarello scored for the second time in as many games after beating Anderson on a breakaway with 3:10 remaining in the third period. ... Richards has collected four goals and five assists in his last eight games. ... Ottawa RW Chris Neil returned to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 30. The enforcer had been sidelined with a lower-body injury.

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