WASHINGTON — First team in, first team on.
The Rangers were the only one of the three clubs that had a chance to sweep in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to battle for a 4-2 victory and ultimately defeat the Capitals on Sunday night. 4 games at Capital One Arena.
That’s what this season has been like for the Rangers, who should always have this series in the bag and started putting it together right away.
“This means we’re ready for everything,” said goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who made 23 saves in the win. “We play for 60 minutes, to the end. We help each other get better.”
As with every other aspect of their impressive 2023-24 season so far, the Rangers have turned the given situation to their whim, ending the team’s fourth straight tie in the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Finished it.
It was a business-minded type of win to end a series in which the Rangers did just that.
The winning goal ultimately came off the stick of Artemi Panarin. He smashed the puck past Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren 11 seconds into the Rangers’ power play in the third period, then waved his stick in the air in an emphatic celebration.
This was another game won by the Rangers’ strong team.
The power play finished 3-for-4 on the night and 6-for-16 in the series, but the penalty kill fended off both of the Caps’ man-advantage chances and finished at 15, perfect for the second straight game. was. He played in 17 games through four games.
That really set the team apart in this series and allowed the Rangers to dominate every game.
“The whole season was about getting ready for the first series and the first game. Specialty teams were really strong all year long,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “There was a bit of a stagnation in the middle, but not that much. The power play got more intense towards the end of the season, and the penalty kill hit the mark.”
But the second period was all Washington control, with the Capitals holding the ball to just one shot on goal through the first 13 minutes, 12 seconds and spending much of the time holding the ball in the offensive zone.
There had to be a breakthrough to settle the game at two-all, and Hendricks Lapierre made it happen by scoring his first playoff goal. However, the team’s defensive effort combined with Panarin’s clutch goal and Jack Roslovic’s empty netter in the final frame secured the victory.
This series felt like the end of an era for Alex Ovechkin.
The Rangers became the first team in his 19-year career to hold off the Great Eight in a playoff series. Ovechkin was barely a factor, often fading into the background and struggling to make an impact in any way.
Ovechkin, 38, took just six shots on goal in four games as the Rangers kept him out of this series.
“Well, it’s our first playoff series against Washington,” said Mika Zibanejad, who led the Rangers with seven points in the series. “This is the building I grew up watching Ovi. [Penguins captain Sidney] Crosby plays here.I just know how loud it is here because I heard it from other people. [that] It’s a fun building to play with and can be a lot of fun. ”
