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Rangers try to run win streak to 5 vs. Sens

Nov 9, 2011 - 3:52 PM (Sports Network) - The streaking New York Rangers will take aim at a fifth consecutive victory when they visit the struggling Ottawa Senators for tonight's battle at Scotiabank Place.

The Rangers began the season with a modest 3-3-3 record, but since then New York has posted four straight victories and outscored the opposition by a 15-6 margin during that stretch.

The four straight wins marks New York's longest winning streak since it rattled off five victories in a row from March 12-22 of last season.

New York's latest victory came Sunday on home ice, as Martin Biron made 23 saves to record his first shutout in a Rangers uniform and the Blueshirts skated to a 3-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

"We showed some resilience, some battle and some heart," Biron said.

Marian Gaborik had two goals and an assist for the Rangers. Gaborik leads New York in both goals (7) and points (13) this season and the Slovakian winger has two goals and three assists over a current three-game point streak.

Derek Stepan added a goal and an assist in Sunday's win.

Biron, meanwhile, improved his record this season to 3-0. He has stopped 77- of-80 shots sent his way this season while serving as the backup to Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist is expected to be back in the crease tonight for the Rangers. The Swede is 10-11-2 with a 2.01 goals-against average in 24 career games against Ottawa.

In other news for the Rangers, forward Wojtek Wolski will undergo surgery to correct a sports hernia and will miss four weeks of action. Wolski has been limited to six games this season, during which he has totaled just a pair of assists.

New York began the year on a seven-game road trip before playing its last six games at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers are 3-2-2 on the road.

The Senators were one of the hottest teams in the league just over a week ago, but Ottawa has dropped three in a row (0-2-1) on the heels of a six-game winning streak.

After a pair of regulation losses, the Sens managed to earn a point in Saturday's shootout loss against visiting Buffalo. Derek Roy scored to cap the sixth round of the shootout, giving the Sabres a 3-2 triumph in Canada's capital city.

Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza scored in the shootout phase for Ottawa. Michalek and Erik Condra also tallied during regulation for the Senators.

"They got lucky in the shootout," Michalek said. "We have to keep learning from this and be confident."

Craig Anderson made 31 saves, but couldn't hold off Roy, who wristed a shot into the top right corner of the net to end the contest.

Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson has missed four games since suffering a concussion against the Rangers on Oct. 29. Alfredsson, who has four goals and three assists in 10 games this season, began skating earlier this week, but he won't be in the lineup tonight.

Tonight marks the end of a three-game homestand for the Sens, who are 5-3-1 as the host this season. Following this evening's contest, Ottawa will head out on a six-game road trip and begin a stretch of nine road tilts in 10 games.

Ottawa defeated the Rangers, 5-4, in a shootout on Oct. 29 and the Sens have taken two in a row and three out of five in this series. However, New York has won its last five trips to Scotiabank Place.