OTTAWA, Ontario — For the Rangers on Thursday night, offense came from the defense.

The Blueshirts’ back end was firing on all cylinders in a 4-2 win over the Senators at Canadian Tire Center, giving the team its fifth win in the last six games as part of one of the more successful stretches of the season.

Two of the Rangers’ four goals came from the defense corps, which has been collectively cognizant of its need to step up offensively in the wake of losing their No. 1 defenseman, Adam Fox, for the foreseeable future.

“So much in today’s game, the way that the game is being played, you just have to get your defensemen involved,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers improved to 15-12-2 overall and 12-4-1 on the road. “Whether it be off the rush or in the offensive zone. I thought we did a real good job, in particular tonight, getting inside a little bit more. The forwards were getting to the net more. There was intention there. So when we did use the blue line, when you’ve got net traffic, it makes it a whole lot more difficult for a goaltender to establish sight lines and establish position.”

Will Borgen (center) celebrates with Jonny Brodzinski (22) and Carson Soucy (24) after scoring a second-period goal during the Rangers’ 4-2 road win over the Senators on Dec. 4, 2025. NHLI via Getty Images

Of the seven goals the Rangers have scored in the first two games without Fox, four have come from defensemen.

To put it into perspective: Rangers defensemen — minus Fox’s consistent contributions — had combined for just nine goals through the first 27 games of the season.

In losing his defensive partner through at least Christmas, Vladislav Gavrikov has taken his offensive game to another level.

Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov celebrates with teammates after scoring a first-period goal during the Rangers’ road win over the Senators. NHLI via Getty Images

The Russian blueliner scored his second goal in as many games Thursday night, tying his career high of six tallies just 29 games into the 2025-26 campaign.

“He’s been great, I think he’s a very smart player,” said Mika Zibanejad, who opened the scoring on a two-on-one rush with captain J.T. Miller. “His decision making and where to go, like, the puck seems to find him. He’s making good reads and he’s making great plays.”

Carson Soucy and Will Borgen, who made it a 3-1 game in the second period, have accounted for the other two goals from defensemen over the last two games.

Igor Shesterkin makes a save on Nick Cousins as Scott Morrow defends during the Rangers’ road win over the Senators. AP

Now with 16 goals from the blue line, the Rangers rank fifth in the NHL.

The Rangers set the tone early, jumping out to a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the first period.

Artemi Panarin, whose empty-net goal at the end of the game marked his 900th career point, jump-started an odd-man rush by digging the puck out along the boards and springing Zibanejad and Miller.

In transition, the Blueshirts captain dished to Zibanejad, who buried his team-leading 10th goal of the season past Senators goalie Leevi Meriläinen.

It was a 2-0 game by the 9:45 mark, when Gavrikov sniped his third goal in the last four games into the top far corner.

The Senators scored both of their goals on the power play.

Both times the home team capitalized with the man advantage, they cut the Rangers’ lead to one.

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After Dylan Cozens scored from the slot in the first period, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk’s one-timer from the circle deflected in off Drake Batherson to make it a one-goal game late in the third.

“Ottawa made a push in the third, the first half of the third period, I thought they came at us pretty good,” Sullivan said. “We were on our heels, but we found a way. We dug in, we pushed back. We didn’t get rattled when they scored the power-play goal to get within one goal. We just kept trying to play the game the right way. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good effort.”