NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Martin Rucinsky had the finest performance of the New York Rangers' best all-around game of the season.
Rucinsky scored a goal and three assists and Alexei Kovalev collected a goal and two assists as the New York Rangers stopped a four-game winless skid with a 6-2 rout of the Ottawa Senators.
Defenseman Brian Leetch, Bobby Holik, Petr Nedved and Jan Hlavac each added a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who came home from an 0-2-2-0 road trip to match their season high of six goal. They recorded a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in their last home game on November 12.
"That was a great one," said coach Glen Sather, whose team improved to 6-2-2-0 at home this season but is just 2-4-2-1 in its last nine games. "The best they looked this year. The least number of breakdowns. A good effort from everyone."
Rucinsky has three goals and six assists in his last nine games.
"It was one of those games when you feel great and everything you touch counts," said the left wing, who opened the scoring in the first period with his sixth goal. "Hopefully, it could be like this every game. It was one of those games where everybody clicks. It was a good game for everybody as a team."
"This was probably as good a game as I have seen from a forward this year," Leetch added. "He was skating great. He had a few points tonight, but also the plays he set up that didn't go in."
The line of Rucinsky, Holik and Kovalev combined for nine points, leading the Rangers to their first win over Ottawa since March 21, 2002 (0-3-0-1).
"Rucinsky has been playing great," Holik said. "He skates, he carries the puck and he's creating so much with his skating. We had a good game."
Eric Lindros returned after missing four games with a scratched left cornea suffered against Pittsburgh, but did not figure in the scoring.
Captain Daniel Alfredsson, who was sidelined one game with a sprained right knee, scored his ninth goal - a power-play tally - and added an assist for the Senators, who lost for the fourth time in five games.
"The way we are playing right now we are not going to be able to go far," Alfredsson said. "We allowed the first goal again tonight and we cannot continue to do that."
Defenseman Wade Redden also tallied a power-play goal for Ottawa, which has been outscored 26-15 at even strength in its last 12 games.
"I thought we had a good start to the game. We came out and played hard, but we made some mistakes," Senators coach Jacques Martin said. "They capitalized on them and it snowballed from there. They have three lines that can score. The Holik line took advantage of the opportunity."
Ottawa's Patrick Lalime was chased at 6:17 of the third period after making only 15 saves. Martin Prusek came on and turn aside all seven shots he faced.
Jussi Markkanen recorded 23 saves for the Rangers.
