It Took Ottawa Only 4 Defensemen To Hold Rangers To An Embarrassingly Low Shot Total

It's always impressive when a team plays so well defensively that it limits the opposition's shots to an obscenely low number, but when you realize how the Ottawa Senators were able to do it to the New York Rangers, it's even more impressive.

The Senators rolled into Madison Square Garden on Monday night for what was Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad's 1,000th NHL game.

Fitting, seeing as the only other team he played for in his career was the Senators.

Now, the Rangers' struggles at home are well-documented, and this performance might be the peak.

Or valley, depending on how you want to see it.

While it was close on the scoreboard, with the Senators winning 2-1, a quick look at the box score reveals how rough it got when it came to generating offense for the Blueshirts.

The Rangers registered just ten shots against the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

At the end of regulation, the Rangers' shot total was 9. That made them the only team in the post-salary cap era to register fewer than 10 shots in an entire game. It was also the Rangers' lowest shot total in a single game since 1955, which actually predates shots on goal becoming an official NHL stat.

However, on Tuesday, that total was retroactively adjusted, with the team receiving credit for one additional shot, bringing the total to 10.

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What's wild is that Ottawa managed to cut down on shots like this while playing most of the game with only four defenseman after Lassi Thomson and Thomas Chabot both suffered injuries.

I don't know if you've ever played organized hockey, but even in a beer league, when you show up to play defenseman, and there are only four defenseman, you know it's going to be an exhausting night.

Now imagine playing like that at the NHL level.

I'll be honest with you, I can't imagine that, but the Senators did it and did it really well.

On the plus side for the Rangers, netminder Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 of the 33 shots Ottawa put on net to keep the game close.

The Senators are currently sixth in the Atlantic Division, but still in the playoff hunt, while the Rangers are still wallowing away in the Metropolitan Division basement.