OTTAWA — A playoff series between the Rangers and Senators begins with Game 1 of their second-round matchup Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre. It also begins a battle for the heart of Sweden.
In one corner is Henrik Lundqvist and his Rangers, the top NHL team in Lundqvist’s native land — largely because of his success, his popularity and the heightened profile of playing in New York. In the other corner is Erik Karlsson and his Senators, the superlative defenseman having the best season of his career for Ottawa, a team that came in as a slight underdog in popularity, as well as by the Las Vegas oddsmakers.