Kyle Turris scores big-boy goals. Ones that matter. He's been doing it all year for the Ottawa Senators.
His tally Saturday, though, was the most significant of his season - and arguably of his career.
The 27-year-old won Game 5 against the New York Rangers in overtime, going five-hole on Henrik Lundqvist and putting the Senators a win away from the Eastern Conference finals.
Mr. GWG
Turris finished second on the Sens with six game-winning goals during the regular season - only Mike Hoffman had more, with eight.
Saturday's goal was the seventh GWG for Turris, with five of them scored in the third period or later, including three in overtime, and six in one-goal games. No cheapies here:
| Date | Period GWG scored in | Final Score |
|---|---|---|
| May 6 | OT | 5-4 |
| March 31 | 3rd | 3-2 |
| Feb. 26 | 2nd | 2-1 |
| Jan. 19 | 1st | 2-0 |
| Nov. 26 | 3rd | 2-1 |
| Nov. 1 | OT | 2-1 |
| Oct. 12 | OT | 5-4 |
Rising to the occasion
Turris played 24:58 on Saturday, most among Sens forwards. He finished with three shots on goal, a team-high nine hits, and won 15 of the 23 faceoffs he took. He was a force, precisely when Ottawa needed him to be.
"It's Kentucky Derby day and he was our horse tonight," Senators head coach Guy Boucher said after his team's pivotal win, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
Ottawa is Erik Karlsson's team, of that there's no doubt. But Turris' 27 goals in the regular season led all Sens, and he finished third on the club in scoring with 55 points.
Turris scored an OT winner on opening night, and is still doing the damn thing seven months later. The Senators aren't on the cusp of the final four without him.
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