WASHINGTON — Much of the series was ugly — it really was — and it’s the ultimate compliment that the Rangers were able to struggle through the next period, the next game, and come away with their first win. – round-sweeping the Caps while trapped in tight spaces for nearly all of the series’ 240 minutes.
But this was the hockey the Rangers were built to play from the first day of training camp by then-incoming head coach Peter Laviolette. The club’s detail-oriented approach, developed during a six-month regular season marathon, was invaluable in allowing the Blueshirts to win Game 4, 4-2, and advance to the second round. It was important.
In the 18-year-old hard cap era that began in 2006, only one team has won every game in the first round and won the Stanley Cup. That was two years ago in Colorado, where they beat Nashville for the championship.
But do you know who else ever won the Cup by winning the first round? Of course you did. Thirty years later, in 1994.
The Blueshirts will advance to the second round, where they will take either the Hurricanes or Islanders. Carolina leads the series 3-1 and will get a second chance to decide it on Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. The next series likely won’t start until the weekend. At the earliest, the Rangers hold home ice advantage.
The Caps muddied the path for the Rangers, who could never break free from the No. 17 overall pick who, despite their superior talent, refused to leave. Alex Ovechkin, the 38-year-old Putinista, performed badly throughout the series but was never a factor, going through a playoff year without a point for the first time in his career. He looked like he used to.
The Rangers will need to be even sharper in the near future. They defended very well. They received exceptional goaltending from Igor Shesterkin. They came in with a balanced attack, with 10 different players scoring in the series. They had the upper hand in specialized teams. They will need to bring more as the tournament evolves.
“It’s good to win the series, but I definitely have to give 100 percent for the next round,” he said, beating Charlie Lindgren with a power-play wrist shot from the left circle in 3 minutes, 21 seconds. said Artemi Panarin. Breaking a 2-2 tie. “Certainly, we have to be better in the second round. There are even better teams in the second round.
“You don’t get a lot of chances, so you have four chances or when you go home. Just because you played well doesn’t mean you played bad. But I think you can play better.”
The Rangers took responsibility until the end and gave it their all in the 200-foot game. It was consistent throughout the series. They created a fight and won. Even when hemmed it for stretch, it didn’t lose its composure. They accomplished as much as they physically could. No one bothered Matt Lempe in this match, and Lempe didn’t destroy a single cap.
Vincent Trocheck dominated the series with and without the puck, finishing with three goals and three assists. Mika Zibanejad was in great form, scoring a series-leading seven points (1-6). At least after this round, no one will question the strength of the Rangers’ midfield.
If this was an inelegant series where a pleasing aesthetic wasn’t a priority, the Blueshirts’ power play created a symphonic score. The Blueshirts finished third in the league in percentage shooting at 26.4 percent on the season, but the team has become even more dynamic and creative in recent weeks, going 16-for-6 in this series after going 3-for-4 in Game 4. He recorded a hit.
It couldn’t have gone any better as Bobby Rousseau grabbed a point and Jaromir Jagr fired home from the half wall.
Trocheck’s 19:44 PPG in the first was a work of art. Once the club got to the line, all five players on the first unit (Zibanejad, Panarin, Trocheck, Chris Kreider and Adam Fox) touched the puck.
The team made seven passes in the offensive zone before Trocheck received a centering feed up the middle from Zibanejad and finished with a quick wrist shot. Panarin’s winning goal followed Trocheck’s faceoff win in the right circle, followed by a spinning wrister from the left circle off a feed from Zibanejad.
“You’re always trying to be better.” [on the power play] And we’ve been trying to incorporate some more things and movements,” Trocheck said. “I want to be able to move around and create offense even if I’m a little off.
“The top three are as dynamic as ever. Whenever we get stuck, Bred, Foxy and Micah find a way to make something happen.”
The Rangers may have won this series thanks to their high-end personnel advantage, but their focus and mindset were an equal asset in this sweep.The Rangers didn’t necessarily surprise everyone in this series looking like a toffee pull, and they didn’t necessarily surprise everyone throughout the regular season, but here they are
1st place overall, 1st place in advancement.
30 years later, he won all his first round matches.
Who’s next?
