The Ottawa Senators hope it serves as a wake-up call.
Put away 4-1 in Game 3 of their second-round series against the New York Rangers, the Senators came out flat, squandering an opportunity to push their series lead to 3-0.
"We knew. It was about living it. Now we have lived it. We got a good slap in the face," Senators coach Guy Boucher told Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "They wanted it so badly and we didn't match that. Period. Period. The whole team was off."
The Rangers carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission after outshooting the Senators 15-5 in the initial frame. The final 40 minutes were closer, with Ottawa ahead on the shot clock 22-15, but it was too little, too late for the Senators.
New York pushed its lead to 4-0 in the second period before Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau broke Henrik Lundqvist's shutout bid.
Senators captain Erik Karlsson and forward Mike Hoffman were a team-worst minus-three on the night. It marked the first time in the playoffs that Karlsson had been on the ice for more than one even-strength goal against.
Tuesday was the Senators' ninth game this postseason, and the first to be decided by more than one goal.
The series continues Thursday in New York.
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