Rangers Force Game Seven

Capitals 0, Rangers 1
Scoresheet - Event Summary

Series tied 3-3

Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images

It would be a deflected shot off of a Washington Capitals' defender that beat Braden Holtby that would decide game six's fate. It would be enough for the New York Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist to hold off elimination and force a game seven back in DC as they down the Capitals 1-0.

Special teams were key, in so much as the power play meant nothing to either team. The Capitals were able to kill off all five infractions they took. While the Rangers didn't give their opponents a single power play through 60 minutes of play. The only penalties called against New York happened at the 20:00 mark of the third period after a post game scrum erupted.

While the Rangers were "perfect" by not taking a penalty, the game was frothed with cheap hits and missed calls. Two of the five penalties against the Caps were retaliatory strikes after the Rangers initiated the fact with a cheap shot or a bad hit. Jack Hillen was called for roughing after Ranger captain Ryan Callahan gave the defender an elbow to the head and Hillen went back after him. Mike Green claimed he was slew footed before he turned and cross checked Derek Dorsett.

Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images

But the Capitals undisciplined play would cost them in the end as the team remained out of sync for much of the game. Alex Ovechkin had his moments. He had a few heavy hits through out the game, unfortunate for Dan Girardi who was on the receiving end for at least two of them.

The Ranger goal came after some sustained pressure by the home team. The Capitals trying to keep most of the shots in their own zone to the outside, but a point shot by Derek Brassard bounced off a couple of Capitals in front of the net to beat Braden Holtby. It would tarnish an absolute gem of a game by the young goaltender who faced down 28 shots and kept his team with in arms reach.

The Capitals and Rangers will face off in an epic game seven tomorrow night at Verizon Center. Capitals will look to make it to the next round with a win at home.

Caps Notes:

• Speaking of penalties, the Rangers seem to be raking in the opportunities. The disparity is whopping at Madison Square Garden where the Caps have been whistled for 15 fouls, while the home team only 5 in this series.
• Ovechkin finished with 5 shots, 3 hits in 19:03 in ice time.
• At the end of the game it looked as if Brian Boyle body slammed Mike Green to the ice after popping the Caps' defenders helmet off. Green appeared to be fine.

Caps Take Rangers To Brink

Capitals 2, Rangers 1 OT
Scoresheet - Event Summary

Washington leads series 3-2

Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images

Mike Ribeiro has had a pretty quiet series thus far. A few assists, some solid play on the power play. But tonight, Ribeiro goes from a dull quietness to amp up the volume in Chinatown as he slipped a deflected shot past Henrik Lundqvist in overtime as the Capitals take Rangers to the brink of elimination with a 2-1 win. The Caps now go up 3 games to 2.

The Rangers did get off to a quick start, scoring the first goal of the game just :58 seconds into the first period. Derek Brassard shuffled the puck from behind the net past Steve Oleksy to an open Brian Boyle in front of the net. Just like that, the Rangers had a one goal lead. After that, the Rangers really clogged up the neutral zone and Ranger net minder Lundqvist did the rest.

It would take a bone head play by Boyle in the second period who took a retaliatory slash to Ribeiro's legs in front of the Ranger net. Literally eleven seconds later Joel Ward buried a Marcus Johansson pass to tie the game at one.

The Capitals' special teams continues to impress in the post season. They tied the game on the power play and was 1 for 2 on the night as the Rangers tried to stay out of the penalty box. Their penalty kill was a perfect 4 for 4 including when the Capitals took two straight penalties when Jack Hillen was tapped for body slamming a Ranger, then John Carlson batted the puck over the glass for a delay of game "puck over glass" penalty.

Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The Caps killed both to survive the second, and then dominated the third period. Out shooting the Rangers 13-4 in the final period, Washington was unable to solve Lundqvist. The game would be decided in overtime.

Unlike the previous three periods, the overtime frame would be froth with chances for both teams. The play opened up as both teams tried to take each other to the brink of elimination. The firehouse hockey would give Mathieu Perreault a golden opportunity but Lundqvist came up with the outstretched leg pad save.

A few minutes after that the Capitals finally found some offensive pressure as the puck made it way around to Karl Alzner who sent a snapper on net. The puck hit Troy Brouwer in front of the net and trickled to Ribeiro who got position on his defender John Moore. And just like that, the Caps win game five in dramatic fashion and regains the series lead as it heads back to New York for an afternoon game at MSG.

This would be Ribeiro's first game winning play off goal, overtime or otherwise. It capped off a great effort by the Caps to keep the Rangers from scoring again after their early tally in the first. The Rangers pressured but Braden Holtby held it out even with long stretches of not seeing much rubber come his way in the third period. He would make some solid saves in the over time period included a chance by Rick Nash in close on a wrap around shot.

Capitals have a chance to end the Rangers' season on Mother's Day.

Caps Notes:

• Per Caps PR: Tom Wilson made his NHL debut tonight, becoming just the fourth Capitals player to make his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The first three were Chris Felix (4/10/1988), Grant Jennings (4/26/1988) and Trent Whitfield (4/17/2000). Wilson became the first Caps teenager to make his NHL debut in the playoffs, becoming the fifth teenager to suit up for the Capitals in a playoff game (Bob Carpenter, Scott Stevens, Kevin Hatcher, Yvon Corriveau – according to ELIAS). He skated 6:24 and registered one shot and four hits.
• Ribeiro was solid in the faceoff circle, winning 70% of his draws and nearly perfect on defensive zone draws. 
• Joel Ward and Mike Ribeiro both scored their first goals of the series. Ward his 11th career playoff tally, Ribeiro his sixth career playoff goal.
• Matt Hendricks led Caps in blocked shots with seven.

Parade Of Penalties Punishes Caps

Capitals 3, Rangers 4
Score Sheet - Event Summary

Washington leads series 2-1

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The New York Rangers finally figured out how to score on the power play, and their two extra man tallies would keep the Washington Capitals in a perpetual state of playing from behind as they drop game three at Madison Square Garden 4-3. The Rangers avoid the deadly 0 and 3 series drop and crawl back into the series trailing the Capitals 2 games to one.

The once mighty Capitals' penalty kill was humbled when they were whistled for six infractions. The Rangers were credited for only one power play goal as Brian Boyle's snapper was deemed after Joel Ward had left the penalty box, but the Capitals could not get their momentum going in any real tangible direction after constantly coming back from being a man down.

Nick Backstrom, Mike Green and Jack Hillen scored goals for the Capitals. Backstrom got the scoring off and gave the Capitals an early 1-0 lead just 4:06 into the first period. He deflected down a high shot from John Carlson that beat Henrik Lundqvist beneath his pads. The Capitals' penalty woes started to take effect when Ward took a high sticking call and Boyle scored his first of the post season just as the penalty had expired.

The Rangers took the lead when Braden Holtby tripped up Rick Nash and Derick Brassard made the goaltender pay for his transgression. The Capitals did manage to tie the game up. Green's goal was off of sort of broken play. Mathieu Perreault corralled the puck and threw it back to Green open on the point. With the bodies in front of the net, Lundqvist was screened on the shot and the Caps' defenseman picked the top corner for his second goal of the series.

Even with that huge goal, the Caps just seemed out of sync. The Rangers took advantage of some pretty shoddy coverage by their visiting foes when Brassard dug the puck out of the corner and threw it in front of the net. Arron Asham crashing the slot, buried home his first goal of the playoffs.

Still, the Capitals found a way to march back into the game. Off of an offensive zone face off, the puck skittered back to Hillen who shot a laser toward the net. Whether it had been deflected or not, the puck fooled Lundqvist who was in a rare awkward butterfly. Again, the Capitals tie up the game, and again the Ranger's forecheck exploited poor coverage when Derek Stepan tipped a shot/pass by Rick Nash as the Blue Shirts go up for good.

Alex Ovechkin drew a late third period penalty, but even 6 on 4, the Rangers clogged the middle of the ice and the game ended with out a single shot on net by the Capitals in the waning minutes. With Rangers falling into the shooting lanes, the Caps power play personnel tried to pass around it. It took too much time and game three falls into the hands of the New York Rangers.

Holtby played great at times, other times he was a victim of sloppy defensive zone coverage. He allowed 4 goals on 30 shots. He didn't help his cause much when he was whistled for the tripping call on Nash. The Rangers made an effort to be more in Holtby's face, just like Boston tried to do last spring. Holtby again will have to fight through it as his Capitals look to get back on track for game 4.

Caps Notes:

• Coach Adam Oates and his staff sat down and watched the last Capitals' power play before they addressed the media. Whether it was something they saw, or something they will work on for game 4.
• Ovechkin was held with out a point for the first time in seven games. A non-factor on the score sheet, but he did draw the late penalty in the third period.
• Of the seven goal scorers, only Mike Green has scored his second goal of the this series. All of the other players, Derek Brassard, Nick Backstrom, Jack Hillen, Brian Boyle, Derek Stepan and Arron Asham scored their first goals of the series.

Mike "Game Over" Green

Capitals 1, Rangers 0 OT
Scoresheet - Event Summary

Washington leads series 2-0

Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The New York Rangers seemed content to sit back and take their chances against the more skilled Washington Capitals team, which worked for the first three periods. But in overtime, Ranger defenseman Ryan McDonagh was penalized for shooting the puck over the glass. It only took the Caps :51 seconds for Mike Green to shoot the overtime winning goal, the only goal of the game, and to put the Capitals up 2-0 in the series against the Rangers by a score of 1-0.

"I think both teams played very good hockey tonight," Caps' bench boss Adam Oates said. "Not a lot shots, 0-0, both goalies played good. Really good hockey."

Green's goal was the only power play tally for the Capitals who played a much more disciplined Ranger team in game two. They were only sent to the sin bin twice, once in the first minute when Derek Dorsett was whistled for a high stick with 4:02 left to play in the first period. With only two power play chances, the Capitals made good on the one in overtime.

Mike Ribeiro started the play on the near half boards with a great fake slapper that forced the Ranger defender to the ice early, he slipped it to the open Green who one timed it just 5 feet from the blue line.

"[Ribeiro] does such a great job drawing guys to him," Green recalled of the play. "Obviously they are on [Alex Ovechkin], so I just happened to be open and my goal was to get it by the first guy and try to hit the net.”

The shot nicked off of Derek Stepen, slipped passed a sprawling Henrik Lundqvist and hit the post and in. The Verizon Center faithful erupted, Mike Green's legend status grows.

It didn't even seem like the Caps were ever going back to the power play the way the Rangers were playing. Trying not to get caught with odd man rushes, the Broadway Blue Shirts sat back with three of them standing a post on their blue line for a lot of the game. They played the odds that the Capitals would turn over the puck with some timely forechecks and their transition game would do the rest.

"[The Rangers] had moments too during the game but I think we did a great job weathering that," Caps' defenseman Steve Oleksy said,  "I felt we controlled a lot of the game and we knew it was going to come down to one bounce either way and fortunately we got it."

It only ended up being a practice in close calls and near breaks for the Capitals, and low scoring chances for them on the otherside. It also propelled the game into overtime with out a single goal being scored.

Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

The Caps out shot the Rangers 38-24, and visiting goaltender produced one heck of a game against the Capitals. When the Rangers defenders did make a mistake, Lundqvist was there with the save. His rebound control, side to side movement and sniffing out the puck in traffic in front of him were on point. He has shown in game two why he is the best goaltender in the NHL.

"It’s a tough one," Ranger Rick Nash said of the loss after Lundqvist's performance. "[Lundqvist] was unbelievable, we have to get goals for him;  there are no excuses. We go home now and the next game is a huge game."

Braden Holtby was no slouch either this afternoon. Holtby may have had a rougher time handling the puck and faced less shots, but when the Caps needed a save, he was there. He got more comfortable as the game went on, and the most important aspect to his game was he never loss focus, even when his team would keep the Rangers pinned in their zone for long periods of time.

The Capitals' power play has been a key factor in this series. Now 2 for 7 in the series (1 for 2 this afternoon), they have changed the way the Rangers play them. In game one, there was far more physical play and aggressive fore checking by the visiting team. In game two that changed to a more conservative look, with the Rangers backing up and clogging the neutral zone and hoping to keep the score close and their transitional game could get a bounce or two.

While the PP is cooking away, the Cap's PK has also been up to the task. However, the Ranger's power play is not really worth writing home about. When the Caps have needed to kill a penalty, they have.  Rangers are now 0-7 on the power play.

There was some late game controversy when a puck was deflected out of play by Karl Alzner. The Rangers begged for a delay of game penalty. The ruling on the ice was that the puck was deflected off of a dump in shot by the Rangers. A penalty can not be assessed if the puck is deflected out of play. The Capitals would however, be called for the delay of game penalty just 1:51 in the overtime period when Oleksy dumped it over the glass.

Ovechkin did not score, but he was a factor in this game. In the second period, the winger had two beauty feeds. One to Nick Backstrom and the other to Marcus Johansson but neither could convert. Ovi's game seems to be heating up, and his play with out the puck has helped his game become that much better.

If the Rangers play the same style of defensive style hockey in game three, the Caps could adjust to that for better opportunities. At the moment, all it proves is John Tortorella does not trust his team to play an open ice game with the Capitals. See you in New York.

Caps Notes:

• Eric Fehr had another very good game, especially in the overtime period on the penalty kill. He had a scoring chance on the shorthanded forecheck, nearly got the puck to the front of the net for a shot. Then he came back to full body block the point shot, landed on the puck and got a much needed whistle. Big.
• Jason Chimera nearly had a chance to score in the third period when a charging Oleksy threw the puck on net from the corner. Lundqvist was there for the save.
• John Carlson tied Alex Ovechkin in shots on net with seven. 
• Oleksy lead the team in hits with 8.
• Holtby gets his first career playoff shutout. 
• Ranger's head coach John Tortorella's press conference lasted 1:36, 53 words.

PK And Holtby Shine In Game One

Capitals 3, Rangers 1 
Scoresheet - Event Summary

Washington leads series 1-0

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

The Washington Capitals exploded for a three goal second period and Braden Holtby made a magical save in the third to help the home team take game one over the New York Rangers. It had looked like the Broadway Blueshirts were going to rope-a-dope the Caps as they practiced bending but not breaking through the first 16:00 minutes of the game at Verizon Center. The Caps would open up the scoring spurred on by their league leading power play in the second period to take game one 3-1.

Alex Ovechkin scored his first of the playoffs on a power play in the second period. Marcus Johansson scored his first off of a beauty of a pass by Steve Oleksy to break out the speedy forward. And Jason Chimera netted the insurance goal under a minute later for his 34th birthday.

The Capitals had an ideal start, getting an early power play in the first minute of the game when the Rangers were whistled for too many men on the ice. While the Caps did not convert, their aggressive forecheck kept New York on their heels as the Caps rolled out a 10-0 shot advantage through the first ten minutes of play.

But a late goal in the first by the Rangers' Carl Hagelin settled the onslaught and put the Capitals down by one goal. It had looked as if the away team weathered the storm and took advantage of a miscue by the Capitals to take the early advantage.

That is when the league's best power play reared it's head six minutes into the second period. Arron Asham was called for an "Illegal check to the head" and on the ensuing power play, the Caps worked the puck around to Mike Green. Green shot it wide, whether on purpose to avoid the sliding blocker or just missed the net, the puck bounced back to the front where a charging Ovechkin back handed it past Henrick Lunqvist.

The Capitals would run into some penalty trouble after that. Martin Erat took a boarding call when he slammed Mats Zuccarello into the dashers from behind. A short time later, Eric Fehr took an interference call on the PK when the Rangers stormed the net. The Rangers, however, where not able to convert on the 5 on 3 power play. 

Nearly seven and a half minutes after Ovi's power play goal, Oleksy would make a phenomenal pass to a streaking Johansson behind the Ranger defense. MoJo scored just under Lundqvist's glove and above the leg pad to give the Capitals their first lead of the night, and ended up being the game winner.

Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Chimera's goal came just :46 seconds later, when the birthday boy turned and shot it past Lundqvist who was being screened by Matthieu Perreault.

Holtby was spectacular. Making a plethora of glove saves look routine, the Caps goaltender saved his best save for late in the third period. It was a sharp angle shot that looked as if it went off his shoulder and in. But looking at the replay, the puck is never seen crossing the line. Holtby claimed the puck went into his blocker and that he had the puck in his hand the whole time. It was a magic trick best seen on the stage from David Copperfield, literally the puck disappears after hitting the post. Video was inconclusive, no goal.

The Capitals' penalty kill was sparkling tonight, killing off all four man advantages. That included a 1:26 Ranger 5 on 3. While New York went 0-4, the Capitals were 1-5 with seven shots on net.

Caps take game one and retain the home ice advantage until the two teams are under way Saturday afternoon on the NBC network.

Caps Notes:

• Oleksy took a shot off a shot deflected off his own stick that hit him in the chin/jaw. The big defenseman shook it off, played the rest of the game, with out stitches. It will be a big bruise though.
• Eric Fehr had a spectacular game, even though he didn't score. Drew a few penalties and played tough defense on his own end. 
• John Tortorella's press conference was less than a minute long.

Four Things to Watch For

With five days between the end of the regular season and the Capitals first playoff game tonight, the plethora of previews probably has your head swimming. Instead of just breaking it down, the shot blocking of the Rangers and the Caps' hot power play, instead let us take a gander at maybe the less talked about preview of this matchup. The game inside the game.

In the three games the Capitals and the Rangers have faced off against this abbreviated season, the Rangers holds the edge with a 2-0-1. All the games have been close and the pair of losses came at a time when the Caps were struggling with their game.

First game was "Hockey Day in America" and all American John Carlson scored and the Rangers' power play solidified the win in the third period. Second game was a exercise in what would happen if you took too many penalties. Ends up being a 4-1 loss. Third game all of the scoring came in the first period and the Caps lost a two goal lead but won it in the shootout.

But in that small sampling of games, already a small rivalry brews. What happens with out the puck maybe be more exciting than the game itself (not really, but come along for the ride anyway). Here are my four things to watch for in the series between the Rangers and Capitals.

1. Mike Ribeiro vs. Michael Del Zotto - In game two the pair got tangled up in front of the net where Del Zotto got a little stick happy on Ribz. The Cap winger popped him one in the face and the pair went off for roughing. While Del Zotto may not have any responsibility against Ribeiro's line, the two seem to have a dis like for one another. Del Zotto may try to goad number 9 into taking a bad penalty which could lead to some fireworks between the pair.

2. Captain O' Captain - Team Captains Alex Ovechkin and Ryan Callahan had there little game of who can get under the others skin. The pair exchanged stick jabs in the third game. While it didn't lead to blows, what the pair will do next should be interesting. Callahan does give up some 100 lbs. to Ovechkin, so what ever happens, I presume Ovi will be fine.

3. Holtby's chip - Life rarely has any do overs, but for goaltender Braden Holtby this is a chance for some retribution to last season's 7 game series loss. Holtby should be beyond the point of total focus. Watching his counter part in Henrick Lundqvist should make for some outstanding goaltending in this series.

4. Erskine and Clowe - Two big men will be facing off mostly in front of one Holtby. Johne Erskine, 6'4" 220, and Ryane Clowe, 6'2" 225, will be two big bodies on the ice fighting for space in front of the net. being aware of the pair for some big hits and some great battles in the slot.

I picked the Caps to win in seven games. It will come down to special teams and if the Caps' power play can stay hot. They also have to help themselves by not taking penalties and being physical but not overly physical that could draw penalties. The Rangers' have a good power play too and the Capitals penalty kill is in the "okay" zone.

Playoff Picks 2013

48 games in the books. Normally that would be a look at the halfway point in the season, but this year, the abbreviated season makes for an abbreviated prognostocation of the playoff race that is not.. abbreviated. I would do Western Conference picks up to the Conference Champs one day, and the Eastern picks the next. This year, why not put it under one roof. Also it's late and I am tired.

Western Conference Quarterfinals

#8 Minnesota Wild vs. #1 Chicago Blackhawks - Does anyone really think the Hawks are going to have the season they had to drop a playoff series to the Wild? As much as I like seeing the underdog take out the number one, the Wild haven't had enough consistency to get it done this season, even with big time summer signings. Sorry, but Hawks in 5.

Blackhawks defeat Wild in 5 games

#7 Detroit Red Wings vs. #2 Anaheim "Mighty" Ducks - New lease on life, the Ducks under the direction of Bruce Boudreau have proven to be a power house in the Western Conference. But, wait, where have we heard this tale before? The Red Wings are a sleeper team this year, and if they can finally put it together, you really can not count them out. Wings wake.

Red Wings defeat Ducks in 7 games

#6 San Jose Sharks vs. #3 Vancouver Canucks - The goaltender drama of the Canucks certainly caused an early stir for the Canucks, but the pair have put together a great backstopping tandem that added stability to Vancouver. This will be a great series, one for the record books. But the Sharks are playing well of late... so there.

Sharks defeat Canucks in 7 games

#5 Los Angeles Kings vs. #4 St. Louis Blues - A rematch of the Conference Semifinal a season ago, the Blues look to exact revenge against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. Should be a good match up full of twists and turns and some pretty good hitting. Underdogs again, the Kings looked poised to make another deep run, not much the Blues can do about that.

Kings defeat Blues in 6 games.

Western Conference Champs

Yada yada yada, so on and so forth, bottom line is the Blackhawks make this post season their personal coming out party. So yea, Chicago wins the West.

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

#8 New York Islanders vs. #1 Pittsburgh Penguins - If any team sort of "over did" it to load its team with talent full of rentals to make the playoffs, then the Penguins are the mid-life crisis buyers of the NHL. Bringing in the big guns that included the stealing of Jarome Iginla from Boston, the Penguins are poised to push for the Cup even with out Sidney the first round or so. Islanders would be a fun underdog to watch though.

Penguins defeat Islanders in 6 games

#7 Ottawa Senators vs. #2 Montreal Canadiens - A team on the rise, the other stumbling into the playoffs. This was a hard one to dissect. Senators get Erik Karlsson back from injury and it should provide a short boost for the injury-riddled team. The Habs are a pretty fast talented team that could out talent the Senators.

Canadiens defeat Senators in 6 games

#6 New York Rangers vs. #3 Washington Capitals - I will break down this matchup in due time (we don't start until Thursday for Pete's sake). Caps playing stellar hockey down the stretch, Rangers sort of hanging around until a final push late in their season. Sorry Rags fans, no Ilander/Ranger series this year.

Capitals defeat Rangers in 7 games

#5 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. #4 Boston Bruins - For a team that going into the third period was a lock for the win, the Bruins have fallen into "no lead is safe" territory. The Maple Leafs are just begging to make an example out of them. Couple of interesting story lines with Phil Kessel returning to face Boston in the playoffs.

Bruins defeat Leafs in 5 games

Eastern Conference Champions

Everything points to the Penguins making it out of the East. They have the most talent that could include the return of one Sidney Crosby. But the road they have to traverse is full of teams that don't have the pressure they have to make it to the Finals. I don't think this team can plug all the holes in time. The Habs or Bruins are also favorites, but unless something extreme happens, Pens should take the East crown.

Stanley Cup Champs

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Picking a winner between two teams that didn't face each other in the short season. But to quickly make a decision, Blackhawks are far to good of a oiled machine for the patch work Penguins.

Blackhawks first team to repeat Cup champions since the '05 lockout.

There you go Chicago, you are welcome. Breaking down the Rags and Caps up next.

That Close, But That Far

Caps 1, Rangers 2 New York wins series 4-3
Game Summary - Event Summary 

(Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

Exactly what plagued the Washington Capitals in game seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals is what plagued them all season long; lack of offense. It is probably why when Dale Hunter took over for the beleaguered Caps he went with a solid defensive style. But little good it did them in the biggest game of the season, where the Caps came up short in the post season. Again. With a loss to the New York Rangers 2-1.

It wasn't the best of starts for the Caps. They were forced on their heels early when the Rangers decided to use their speed early jumping on loose pucks and their forecheck was pressing the Caps defense and turning over pucks. It would lead to the first goal of the game when Carl Hagelin circled the net and found Cap killer Brad Richards open in the left circle. Richards slapped a shot that fooled young goaltender Braden Holtby making it 1-0 with the game just 1 minute and 32 seconds old.

Even though the goal happened early, the Rangers went to shut down mode. Still using their speed for some random forechecks, they mostly sat back and leaned on Henrik Lundqvist to come up big for them. And did he ever. When the Rangers faltered, his pad or glove or stick was there for the save. It frustrated the Capitals' talented forwards it played into the Rangers hands.

(Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

A flurry of offensive chances in the second period lead to some spectacular saves by Lundqvist, but that is all the Capitals could muster through two periods. It would actually take a Michael Del Zotto goal to get their offense going. After a lackluster change on the fly, the Caps were still in good defensive posture when Marion Gaborik put in a harmless shot on net, saved by Holtby. But Del Zotto would follow up the rebound untouched and put it past the 22 year old goaltender to make it 2-0.

Roman Hamrlik would have the answer just :38 seconds later. The Rangers sort of fell apart defensively as the Capitals made some good passes on a break up the ice. Brooks Laich found Hamrlik cutting into the slot and with Troy Brouwer parked in front, the chip shot found the back of the net. It cut the lead in half, but it would the Caps' high water mark in the 2012 post season.

The Caps tried to mount a late rally by pulling Holtby, but it just led to bumbling pucks and maybe one shot on net in the final seconds. The Rangers shut the Caps down offensively allowing them only 4 shots in the third period. No one is going to rally from behind with chances like that when they need it the most.

It was an incredibly tight series again for the Capitals. In fact, of the 14 games played, only one (a loss to the Rangers in game one 3-1) was decided by more than a goal. Live by the tight game, die by the tight game. The Caps collapse in game five could be the biggest reason they lost this series, but they were never out of it against the Rangers. It is hard to kill two kings in one post season.

Caps Notes:

• The Caps have not won in this post season when they give up the first goal.
• The Rangers are 5-0 in game sevens at MSG. Ruslan Fedotenko is now 6-0 in game sevens.
• Jay Beagle missed his second straight game with a lower body injury. Jeff Halpern was again his replacement. 

Let's Make It Seven

Capitals 2, Rangers 1 Series tied 3-3
Game Summary - Event Summary

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The Capitals made history with winning four straight games in the playoffs after a loss. They did it to force a game seven against the New York Rangers back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play and Jason Chimera scored the insurance goal they needed as Braden Holtby shut the door with 30 saves helping the Caps beat the Rangers 2-1.

"Every game, we’ve had a chance to win," said Chimera who had the game winning goal to complete the historic bounce back the Caps seem to have this post season. "That’s a big thing. It’s hard to be upset about a game when we’ve been in every game. We haven’t put ourselves out of it. And Holtby came back and played a good game for us."

Ovechkin made good on his promise to play much better than his game five performance where he was held shotless. He would score a scorcher on the first power play of the game when Anton Stralman took a tripping call just over a minute in the first period.

"You can see how we start the hockey game," Ovi said of the Caps' good start. "We get the puck deep, finish our checks and move our legs. [We] got a penalty and scored a goal."

Just 15 seconds later, with some keen passing, the Rangers were too spread out and Ovechkin was alone at the top the slot. Nick Backstrom fed him the puck and he beat Lundqvist with the one timer and it set the Verizon faithful in to a frenzy. Moving Ovechkin to the slot on the power play proved to be a wise move by Dale Hunter.

"It’s just one of those changes we make," Caps' bench boss said. "We thought that Ovi, with his big shot, could get a shot off. On the play, one of their players fell and really left an opening and a shot from there by Ovi doesn’t miss very often."

The Capitals' jump on the New York Rangers early made the Broadway Blueshirts look like they had jet lag through the first period. They badly out shot the Rangers through most of the first period and had the jump they seemed to have misplaced in game 5. New York did weather most of the storm and even had a few chances themselves as the period wound down thanks to a couple of penalties on the Caps by Brooks Laich and Roman Hamrlik. The Rangers would eventually out shoot the Caps 11 to 9 by the first period's end.

"I thought we regrouped in the first period," Ranger's head coach John Tortorella said to reporters. "It’s not the way we wanted to start. As we got going in the first period. I thought we regrouped."

AP

The second Capitals goal was a bit flukey, but the Caps had worked hard to get that chance. Alex Semin played the puck behind the Rangers net and worked it around to the half boards right of Henrik Lundqvist. He turned to shot it on net, but it was blocked and the puck skittered to the other half boards where John Carlson quickly shot the loose puck on net. It went between a Ranger defender, off Nick Backstrom's foot and drifted from left to right in front of Lundqvist to an open Chimera. Chims just tapped the puck into the net giving him his fourth goal of these playoffs. 

The Caps would keep up their stingy defensive play in the second period, but Jeff Halpern (in the lineup as a replacement for last minute scratch Jay Beagle) missed a stick check and was called for the double minor giving the Rangers 4 minutes with the extra man advantage.

"It’s one of those accidental things again," Hunter said of the second double minor in as many games. "It starts with your goalie – [Holtby] was sound and penalty killers sacrificed, blocked shots, worked their tails off and got the job done."

It was the best PK the Caps had against New York this series as they held their foes to just three shots on net. The Caps, while gaining momentum from killing off all four minutes, could not score as Lundqvist seemed to have an answer for every shot after that.

More great penalty killing would have to come for the Capitals in the third period when Mike Green sent a puck flying over the glass for a delay of game call early in the frame. Troy Brouwer and Matt Hendricks, both brilliant for the Capitals on the Halpern double minor were equally as good killing off that chance for the Rangers. Brooks Laich and Carlson both even had shots on net shorthanded. The Caps went into shut down mode after that and their offensive production tailed off. Of the four shots total they had in the third period, two of them were off the penalty kill.

AP

Holtby lived up to his hype of a rebounding goalie after a loss and he is now 6-0 in the playoffs following a loss. One save shy of a 31 shutout bid, he turned away the first 30 with some sound, solid netminding. When a Ranger shot hit him, Holtby played like he had puck Velcro on giving little or no rebounds for the Rangers to clean up in front of him. He was calm, square to the shooter. Stopping deflected pucks, screen shots and some difficult fluke shots that the Rangers threw at the 22 year old goaltender. 

The Rangers pressed their offensive muscle in the third and John Tortorella pulled his goaltender with well over two minutes left to play. The plan seemed to fizzle, but the Rangers were able to get a late goal to cut the Capitals' lead to 2-1. They crowded the net with two Blueshirts and the point shot had eyes as it deflected in off of Carlson's body, past Holtby to ruin his shutout bid.

"It felt like we were not really close until the last 20 seconds," Ranger netminder Lundqvist said. "We just have to go back home now and regroup and save all the energy we have left and play our best game of the playoffs here, at home."

The Caps force a game seven and get a second chance to get that important road win. This time to win the series. As long as they continue to move their feet and win the chases to loose pucks like they did tonight, they should be sitting pretty in yet another close tight game seven this post season.

Caps Notes:

• Jay Beagle was a last minute scratch, he was half dressed before he got the news that he would sit out. His absence is due to an undisclosed injury. Jeff Halpern who took his spot was a -1, had one shot, and won 54% of his draws (7 of 13). It was his first game since March 23rd, his first playoff game with the Capitals since April 20, 2003 in a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
• Alex Ovechkin's goal now ties him with Peter Bondra for a franchise best 30 goals in the post season. He had one of the most entertaining non-goals when he brought the puck in the offensive zone and was forced to the ice by Ranger defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Ovi fell, twisted on the ice maintaining possession of the puck with his hand, moving it back to his stick and getting a shot on net while on his butt.
• The Capitals blocked 24 shots to the Rangers 6. They are 2-0 this post season when facing elimination. 12 of the 13 games the Caps have played in these playoffs have been decided by one goal.
• Backstrom now has three points in his last two games (1g, 2a).

6 Seconds From A Win

Capitals 2, Rangers 3 OT Rangers lead series 3-2
Game Summary - Event Summary

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

 

That close, just 6.6 from going home with a series lead. But the Washington Capitals took a late double minor that was cost them the game as the New York Rangers tie the game to send it to overtime, and used the second part of the double minor in the extra frame to turn the tables on the Caps and gave themselves the 3 games to 2 advantage as the it shifts back to Washington.

It is a late night, and I would love to write out an entire recap, but that ain't happening. So let's just hit the high and low parts.

- Brooks Laich and John Carlson got the Caps goals. Carlson's goal was scored early in the third on the power play and was the winning goal until Brad Richards tied the game with just over 6 seconds left in the game.

- Let's be truthful, the Capitals had no business being in this game by the way they played in the first period. Having said that, the fact that they kept the Rangers to one goal through the first two periods. The Capitals had a much better second and parts of the third period, but it wasn't good enough for the win.

- Alex Ovechkin was held in check for most of the game. He did get an assist on Brook Laich goal, but it was off of a broken play. Ovechkin and Alex Semin showed signs of some greatness, but made poor choices with the puck when their opportunities arose. Ovechkin had a huge shot block late in the third period when they still had the lead.

- Troy Brouwer had a heck of a game. He had two assists, a +1, won 67% of his face offs, and two shots blocked. He was everywhere tonight, it seemed.

- Braden Holtby was outstanding, and the Caps did not give him enough goal support tonight for him to earn the win. He knocked down 35 shots but couldn't stop the last two, Richards goal in the third and Marc Staal's shot in overtime. What is amazing is Holtby's knack for making the hard saves look like no big deal. When he makes some of the saves that are pin-point from a Ranger core that has trouble finding their shots getting through to the goaltender at all, it is almost demoralizing they way he calmly gloves it or deflects it away.

- Dale Hunter might be dealing with one tired group of hockey players. Their lack of digging deep and finishing out the game, just shy of 6 seconds of taking the series lead themselves, almost proves that this is a war of attrition. It might be time to infuse some fresh legs with players like Dmitry Orlov, Matthieu Perreault and Cody Eakin into the line up. But there is not shame running with the horses that have finished the race in the quarterfinals either.

- If you wanted to pick a goat for game five, look no further than Joel Ward. It was a break down in discipline as Ward took the double minor late in the game. There was no need to pitch fork Carl Hagelin's stick and draw blood. It was a call the Referees had to make and it put the Capitals in an unfortunate position, on their heels for basically a free for all with an extra man for the Rangers. That was a tough thing for Ward to go through. The team was quick to come to his rescue.

"It was an accident," Dale Hunter told reporters. "Those are the breaks of hockey. It accidentally came up. It's just a hockey play."

The positive out of all of this, the Capitals have a crack on home ice to knot the series up at 3 games a piece. Then it is a 50/50 game back at Madison Square Garden. It is certainly not the easy route to go for the Caps, but what have they done this year to make it easy on themselves? 

Young Guns Strike Again

Capitals 3, Rangers 2 Series tied 2-2
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

The big guns started firing in this series. Goals by Alex Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom and Mike Green help to knot the series up at two games a piece with the New York Rangers with a 3-2 win in game four.

"Everybody has their roles and you’ve seen the guys blocking shots," Dale Hunter, Caps' head coach, told reporters on how his team won. "The big guns scored some big goals and the foot soldiers blocked shots. We played good defense."

Another tight game, another close score and the Washington Capitals feel right at home. The Caps started off with a great first period out shooting the Rangers 14 to 3. It would be a costly turnover by a rookie Chris Kreider as he tried to clear the zone. But his attempt was a picture perfect pass to a waiting Ovechkin who wasted no time shooting the puck on Ranger goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The shot fooled King Henry and bounced off his glove and into the net. 

At times both teams made some mental errors, call it exhaustion from a triple overtime a couple of days before, or a long grueling grind it out game both teams were playing. But the Rangers took advantage of a misplayed puck in front of Braden Holtby early in the second period as they pressed the Caps in their own zone. Ovi half heartedly went for a block, missed and Brooks Laich mishandled the puck in front of Holtby while Artem Anisimov found the loose puck on his stick alone, he pulled it to his forehand and beat a sprawling Caps net minder to knot the game at 1-1.

The Rangers seem to have the momentum for most of that first part of the second period. They even got a hooking call on Joel Ward near the half way mark of the second period. But the Capitals' penalty kill was able stem the Ranger tide. It would take a hit to change momentum back to the Capitals, well... a hit and a goal.

A shift or two after the penalty kill, Backstrom went into the corner. Sensing a hit coming from Anisimov, Backstrom held up and delivered a hit of his own, flooring the Ranger forward to the ice. He passed the puck behind the net and found a soft spot opposite side of the net as Jason Chimera turned and looked to center the puck. Chimmers saw Backstrom and threw a fantastic pass threw a maze of Ranger defenders and Backstrom shot it high blocker side to regain the Caps' lead.

The Caps were buzzing, but it was short lived when Ovechkin left his feet during a hit on Dan Girardi. It stifled the home team's momentum. A miscommunication between defenders Denis Wideman and Jeff Schultz did recover a dumped in puck. Anisimov beat both to the loose biscuit, passed it to an open Marion Gaborik in front of the net and the game was tied at two.

After both teams shared chances in the third period, Backstrom nearly scoring on Lundqvist five hole on a 2 on 0 and the Rangers quick transition game nearly got them a goal, both teams tightened the defensive bolts. It looked as if the game would go into overtime with both teams stifling up the neutral zone.

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Carl Hagelin chopped John Carlson's stick from his hands with 6:15 left in the third period. The Caps power play would hit the ice for only the second time of the game. But they would make it count. Ryan Callahan tried to get the puck out for the Ranger penalty killers, but he took a mis-step and coughed up the puck to Wideman who shuffled the puck to an open Mike Green on the other point. Green, with his head up the whole way, blasted a shot through the shot blocker Ryan McDonagh and beat Lundqvist to give the Caps' their one goal lead back.

"Those two goals," Lundqvist said of the second and third goals scored by the Caps. "I didn’t see the puck so I was pretty much just guessing where it was going both the second and third. It’s unfortunate."

"Before he was injured a lot, we used to see that all the time," Backstrom said of Green's go ahead goal. "It’s great for him and it’s great to see him score a goal. It gives him confidence. Huge goal for us."

This time, they would keep that lead. The Capitals would bear down and tighten defensively blocking a flurry of shots late by the Ranger's point men. The Caps would finish the game out blocking the Rangers 26 to 7. Schultz himself gobbled up 9 shots and at one point in the second period, that was exactly half of the team's total.

Again, it was not a perfect game for the Capitals who were credited with 17 giveaways. At times the Caps looked dead tired against a Ranger forecheck that at times was really good. But the Capitals found away to over come their mistakes and the big guns have finally showed up. Alex Semin did not score, but he had 4 shots on net and some beauty opportunities on the power play. Matt Hendricks also had a solid game, no where near his performance in game three where he put on a hitting show, but he had a key block late in the game to preserve the lead. He also won all nine of his faceoffs.

The series is now tied at two games a piece. The way the Capitals are playing on the road, game 5 should be a winning pivotal game for them. Just like the Boston series, the Caps had an opportunity to take command of the series and did in game 5. 

Caps Notes:

• Ovechkin scored his fourth goal of the postseason and his second in his last three games. It was the 29th goal of his playoff career and he now trails Peter Bondra by one goal for first all-time in Capitals playoff history. He now has 57 postseason points and ranks third all-time in Capitals history. 
• Chimera assisted on Backstrom’s goal and now has five points (4 goals, 1 assist) in nine career playoff games against the Rangers.
• Mike Knuble found himself crashing the net again and crashing into the opposing goaltender, but this time it was more his momentum and the Ranger defense forcing the Caps' forward into the net. The puck followed him into the crease, but after review the puck was no where close to being in the net.
• The Rangers were 9-0-1 in afternoon games this season. Well... now 9-1-1.

4 Hours, 34 Minutes Later...

Capitals 1, Rangers 2 3OT New York leads series 2-1
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

It would take three overtime periods, 95 combined shots, 105 combined hits, and the longest NHL game in nearly 41 years. Marion Gaborik would end the action with just 5:19 left in the third overtime gave the Rangers the series lead 2-1 and end the game with the same tally 2-1 over the Washington Capitals.

The Capitals came out with a fire in their belly in the first period. They were flying, out shooting the Rangers 13 to 10 and more chances on a New York team that was just weathering the storm. But the Capitals could not crack Henrik Lundqvist and fell behind in the second period when the Rangers got a power play. Ryan Callahan buried the loose puck in front as it bounced off of two Caps and caught Holtby out of position.

It did not take long for the Capitals to respond, John Carlson skated the puck into the Ranger zone and followed the bouncing puck until it settled on his stick. He wrist it past Lundqvist over his right blocker. But that was as much offense the Caps could muster. There was a keen chance for the Caps late in the second period when they had a three on one break. But Brooks Laich just ran out of room to get a quality shot off.

Alex Ovechkin nearly ended it when he hit the post. It would sound the horn and the crowd went nuts. But it was clear in the replay that the puck solidly hit the post. 

Matt Hendricks played his best player as a Washington Capital. He was a hitting machine, and nearly ended the game early in the first overtime with a thunderous hit on Ryan McDonagh then stole the puck and found Troy Brouwer in front of the net. But Brouwer's shot sailed high and wide of the top corner allowing the overtime period to carry on.

“It’s tough," Hendricks said of the emotional overtime game. "You invest a lot every night, no matter what, if it’s a 60-minute game or extended into overtime. When you extend into overtime you are investing more and more and you are putting everything you’ve got into it. Unfortunately, we didn’t win tonight, but we can’t let that bother us. We just need to get prepared for the next one.”

Hendricks deserved a better fate in this game, but he would end a -1, finished with a team high 11 hits, 6 shots on net, and was 71% in the face off dot. Not too shabby. He also had a great shot early in the second period, but the puck trickled wide behind Lundqvist.

(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The goaltending was spectacular on both ends. Holtby and Lundqvist faced a much different game than in games one and two. In the previous games, shots were hard to come by. They were grinding, clogged up games. Game three was in contrast, fast skating, open play and it seemed to favor the Washington Capitals for most of the game. Holtby would finish with 47 saves, his counterpart finished with 45 stops.

Alex Semin played a great game two, nearly scorning in the open moments of the game. He would get an assist on Carlson's goal. But as the game wore on, he seemed to disappear in the play.

As much as the Rangers would like to think they have a strangle hold on the series, it is just one game. New York takes the series lead, but the Capitals have been here before. Nearly parallel to the series with Boston, the Caps were able to split the first games in Boston and back in Washington. The Caps will look to do the same in two days when both teams meet on Saturday at Verizon Center for game four.

“It’s a loss. It’s no different than any other one," Holtby said. "A hard fought battle. We will be ready for the next game. It was a good game.”

Cap Notes:

• It was the fourth time the Capital franchise they have reached triple overtime.
• Visitors are 13-6 in overtimes this playoff season.
• Both teams have opted out of practices tomorrow.
• The Capitals killed off two penalties in overtime, a tripping call on Semin in the first overtime and a high stick call on Mike Green in triple overtime. The Rangers were not called for penalties in any of the overtime periods.

Hunter's Toolbox

AP

If everyone has to talk about Alex Ovechkin's ice time in game two, then why not us? There is a method to head coach Dale Hunter's madness, even if the press corps can not seem to see it. The best analogy I could come up with is to put it in pure man terms and talk about tools.

No, not talking about Sean Avery. Tools, like in a tool box. Just like we wouldn't use a hammer on a bolt or use a wrench as a level, Hunter does not see any reason putting out Ovechkin when the situation does not warrant it. Per Wash Post Mike Wise:

“Dale, anybody who’s following our team, you see he’s coaching the situations,” said Mike Knuble, who scored the game’s first goal Monday night on a pretty tic-tac-toe play. “He’s playing certain guys. If we’re down a goal, he’s going to be our main guy. He’s going every other shift.

“If we’re up a goal, then Dale tends to lean on other guys. That’s the way it is. I guess they can talk about it this summer after the season and figure it out. For now it’s working and we’re going to run with it.”

Hunter will use Ovechkin when the situation best fits his need for Ovechkin. If the Caps are down a goal or two, Ovi gets more than enough ice time. But if the Capitals are ahead, Hunter will rely on his more defensive players to pick up the work load.
 
No one really seems to have an issue with it except the press. Both New York and Washington media are trying to figure it all out. It is not mite hockey where everyone gets even ice time and a chance to play, it is the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, and teams, coaches and players will do what they feel needs to be done to win. If that means putting a few talents on the bench a little longer, than that what it means. It's working for the Caps.

What Hunter has decided is to put match ups against conventional thought. It accomplishes two things for the Caps' bench boss. If the Capitals have the lead and on the road, it is a safer play to have your dependable defensive players on the ice when you have the last change. The Caps will defend that lead with the players who are defensively minded, and thus far it has worked. When the Rangers can react to whatever the Caps put on the ice, Hunter goes for safe rather than risk.

The second thing it accomplishes, his star offensive players are fresher later in the game/series. Ovechkin can wear himself out running around and hitting, which sort of worked against the Bruins. But against the Rangers, it is more important for him to be fresh as the game and series wears on.

Saving your offensive players until the end maybe the genius of the idea of keeping Ovi benched. If he is worn down from heavy minutes through the game, he doesn't have that extra jump, can't get his shot on point and turns the puck over. But a fresh Ovi can blow by tired legs on the other team's defense, catch the other team flat footed.

Another side perk, Hunter also keeps the Rangers from getting the match ups they ultimately wanted. Keeping their lines off kilter, Hunter can put Ovechkin on against a tired defensive pair, or create havoc with the opposition lineups. If he feels his team has strong momentum he can put him out there to jump on the other team's misfortunes.

Ovechkin didn't miss his power play time. He would scored just four seconds into a power play that proved to be the game winner. That is Hunter's strategy. Keep the other guys guessing. It apparently works for the media as well.

Caps Notes:

• Caps have recalled Dany Sabourin, Cody Eakin and Sean Collins have been recalled by the Capitals now that the Hershey Bears have been eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs.
• Top Caps' prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov has agreed to a two year deal to stay in the KHL. Many believe he is staying with his KHL team so he can play in the 2014 Winter Olympics since there is no deal at present for NHL players to participate.
• The Capitals took the day off and offered an optional practice for players who have been healthy scratches and for the call ups to get some ice time.

Bounce Back

Capitals 3, Rangers 2 Series tied 1-1
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

Alex Ovechkin scored his third goal of the playoffs on the power play to even the series at one game a piece with the New York Rangers. Braden Holtby stopped 26 shots to get the game's first star and helped the Capitals to defeat the Rangers 3-2 and send the series back to Verizon Center all tied up.

Mike Knuble opened the scoring near the midway point of the first period when he tipped in a Joel Ward pass on a 3 on 2. Jason Chimera scored his third goal of these playoffs after Ranger netminder Henrik Lundqvist misjudged a dump in and Chimera beat him to it. He threw the puck back to the front of the net to an open Matt Hendricks, but the puck bounced around a bit before Chimera tipped the loose puck back toward the front of the net, it hit a Ranger defender's skate and went in for the 2-0 lead.

The Rangers would respond late in the first period when Brad Richards out muscled his way to the net and buried a Marion Gaborik pass to the slot with :42 seconds left. The Rangers would tie it in the third period on the power play when Micheal Del Zotto shot the puck from the point and it bounced off of John Carlson and then Ryan Callahan past Holtby. It set the stage for Ovechkin when the Rangers took not just one penalty, but two.

Brian Boyle, returning to the lineup for the Rangers, took the first penalty when he pulled down Mike Green on the half boards. The Caps were able to get some shots on net, but the Rangers were able to kill it off. But just :36 seconds later, Richards was nailed with an interference call on Carlson breaking into the zone. It would take Ovechkin all of four seconds on the second power play for him to shoot a sizzler past a sprawling Boyle and Lundqvist glove to give the Capitals the lead back. A lead they would keep for good.

Ovechkin, hounded by the MSG crowd each time the clock hit 8:00, was held to just one shot in game 1. Dale Hunter cut back on the forward's play time and the gimmick seemed to work. Ovi made the most of what little time he had to fire off seven shots in just 13:36 of ice time in game 2.

There was a little more jump in the Capitals play compared to game 1. It seemed they could not win the board game against the Ranger's speed. In game 2, the Caps were better able to deal with that pressure by bring help down from the forwards with the Rangers tried to set up behind the net. 

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Braden Holtby certainly made good on his promise to play better in game 2. He had some help with the defensive core blocking 24 shots in front of him. He made a few big stops including a stop on rookie Chris Kreider on a break away that led to the Chimera goal just seconds afterward.

The Caps' special teams finally got a power play goal, but they also gave up a goal on the PK.  While the power play was frustrated at times, Ovechkin's wrister seemed to catch everyone off guard. The Caps' PK was solid again, as it took a tipped shot, off of several different players for the Rangers to score with the man advantage.

Now in perfect position after splitting the games in New York, the Capitals have a chance to once again take the series lead on home ice. If they learned their lesson from the earlier round, the Caps need to jump on the Rangers early at home and keep up their tight checking style in the defensive zone. The mantra of this team is resiliency, which is nice early in the series. But it would be wise to put the pressure on the team from New York by taking the series lead.

Caps Notes:

• Alex Ovechkin's third period goal is his career 5th game winning goal in the playoffs. Ovi also continues his stretch of not going consecutive games in a series with out a point. He was held pointless in game 7 against the Bruins and game 1 versus the Rangers.
• Jason Chimera only has 6 career goals in the playoffs, three of which have come at Madison Square Garden. He has scored in three straight playoff games at MSG with the first goal the overtime series clinching goal in last year's playoffs.
• Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle both have goals this post season, but these are the first assists the pair have in these playoffs.
• Braden Holtby's parents were in attendance at MSG.

Caps Drop Game One

Capitals 1, Rangers 3 New York leads series 1-0
Game Summary - Event Summary

AP

The New York Rangers took the Washington Capitals defensive system and threw it back in their face. Braden Holtby suddenly looked human has he was lit up for three goals on 14 shots, Alex Ovechkin hit more Ranger forwards than the net and Rangers got scoring from some unlikely sources. The Rangers had more jump in their step and they used it on a seemingly tired Capital squad to take the series lead with a 3-1 win at MSG.

Jason Chimera scored the only Caps' goal to tie it with mere seconds left on the clock in the second period. Brooks Laich took the puck in the neutral zone, checked the time and found a breaking Chimera with a beautiful saucer pass that beat Rangers goaltender Henrik Lunqvist five hole. It would be the only mistake the Rangers would make on the defensive end that would cost them.

The Rangers got two easy goals as Holtby seem to get rattled by the Rangers in the third period. There were some defensive lapses by the Capitals that left Rangers open for shots and they capitalized on their opportunities. One was a shot near the top of the circle that beat the young Cap netminder on the glove side. The other was a walk out in front by Ranger sniper Brad Richards and he found the smallest opening to score while Holtby was holding the post.

The glaring problem for the Capitals was their once again struggling power play. The Caps were 0 for 4 with the man advantage with penalties coming in the first and second periods against the Rangers. But the Ranger penalty kill frustrated the Capitals really only giving them much room to get shots in on Lundqvist. When they did get the puck in, the Ranger goaltender was there for the save or the goal post did the work for him.

The Caps penalty kill did okay, killing off all four of the Ranger power plays. But it was the five on five lapses that really cost the Capitals. It was not a great game for Mike Green. He was out muscled behind the net by Artem Anisimov who made a power move to the front of the net and forced the puck past Holtby. Green also had a mental lapse when he nonchalantly skated to his bench for a change, but the play turned on him and he had to catch up with a breaking Chris Kreider. Kreider would beat Holtby with the eventual game winner, and Green ends the day with the only Capital a -2.

The bottom line is this is game one in a long series. The Capitals have the time to make the adjustments. Mostly the Capitals have to return to their patient game and stay solid on the defensive end. Far too often the Caps got caught pushing the play too much which lead to Ranger chances the other way. New York would also drop a fourth man down, trying to create a 4 on 3 rush against the Caps. It looked like the Caps could exploit that.

Caps Notes:

• Laich picked up his fourth assist of the post season. 
• The Rangers have won five game 1s in the past eight playoff series. They have gone on to a record of 31-11 when winning the home opener.
• Rangers out hit the Capitals 35-28, even in blocked shots 15-15, but beat the Caps in the faceoff circle 52% (26-24).

So New York It Is

#1 New York Rangers vs. #7 Washington Capitals

Schedule:

Game 1 Saturday 4/28, @New York 3:00 pm, NBC/CBC

Game 2 Monday 4/30, @New York 7:30 pm, NBCSN/CBC

Game 3 Wednesday 5/2, @Washington 7:30 pm, NBCSN

Game 4 Saturday 5/5, @Washington 12:30 pm, NBC/CBC

Game 5 Monday 5/7, @New York 7:30 pm, NBCSN/CBC

Game 6 Wednesday 5/9, @Washington TBD

Game 7 Saturday 5/12, @New York TBD

All times eastern

Trading a defensive minded team with an All Star goaltender in net for another defensive minded team with an All Star goaltender may just suit to the way the Washington Capitals have been playing of late. The New York Rangers pride themselves on keeping their opponents to limited chances on shots by blocking a ton of rubber in front of Henrik Lundqvist.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Even Strength - The New York Rangers scored two less goals than the Capitals in the regular season. Ranking the pair right next to each other overall with the league. But through a playoff round, the Capitals have scored 12 goals five on five compared to the Rangers 9 goals. Both teams played in seven game series. The Rangers' offense has struggled in the playoffs so the team has had to lean heavily on their defensive efforts. They stifled the Ottawa Senators' explosive offense to just eight goals at even strength.

The Capitals have done a 180 degree turn in the playoffs. Once a free wheeling, offensive power house, they have instead clamped down on their defensive system and have had success with it especially in close games. Goals at even strength should be tough to come by for both teams. This one is starting to look like it could sway in the Caps' favor.

Power Play - In the regular season, both teams struggled at times with the extra man advantage. But the Capitals found more success with it than the Rangers at season's end. The Caps 16.7% power play efficiency would be good enough for 18th in the league. The Rangers, at 15.7%, did fair much better, settling for 23rd in the league. In the playoffs, both teams are pretty much at a draw with the power play. The Capitals fair a shade better than their opponents with their power play goal percentage at 15.8%, the Rangers at 15.6%. Call this a draw.

Penatly Kill - It was a bright spot for the Capitals in their series against the Boston Bruins. The Caps did such a good job on the PK, that it took until game six for the Bruins to score a power play goal. Boston went 2 for 23 for the series, giving the Caps a 91.3% second only to Phoenix Coyotes for best in the playoffs. The Rangers finished middle of the pack with their penalty kill (84.6%) and allowed four power play goals against. Slight edge to the Capitals.

AP

Goaltending - Henrik Lundqvist could win the Vezina and Hart trophies for his efforts in the regular season. He is clearly the leader of this Ranger squad. He only allowed 12 goals in the previous series against Ottawa. His numbers are solid with a .940 save percentage and a 1.70 goal against average. Lundqvist also seems to play his best when the most is on the line. But the Rangers can't totally rely on their talented goaltender with out some offensive output.

Braden Holtby in contrast only played as many regular season games as he has playoff games, 7. But his numbers in the post season are nothing to snark at. A .940 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against was good enough to knock off the defending Stanley Cup Champs. Give the slight edge to the Rangers.

Final Thoughts - The Capitals on the road in the regular season was dismal. In the playoffs it has been sparkling. Defeating the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in game seven in their building has given this team the confidence boost they needed. But they will need to keep up the good play on the road as they will start against the best in the Eastern Conference at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have been good this season at home and this will be a challenge for the Capitals.

In the regular season, the teams split their four games they have played. But it was the last game of the season that might be in the back of the heads of both teams. The Caps, previewing their patient defensive system easily handled the Rangers for the 4-1 win. The Rangers might have been looking past the Caps, but it was a win they wanted to try and win the President's Trophy.

The Rangers will have to find ways to score and put a little doubt into rookie goaltender Braden Holtby to win. If they can get their offense sparked, it could cause problems for the Capitals if they are constantly trying to come from behind having their own offensive struggles. For the Caps to win they have to get on the scoreboard early and frustrate the Ranger forwards.

Historic Series Has An End

Capitals 2, Burins 1 OT Washington wins series 4-3
Game Summary - Event Summary

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It was an incredibly tight series. It was unheard of to go six straight games decided by one goal. Well, make that seven games. It would take overtime in game seven to decide a winner in this tight checking, defensive struggle and it would be a Joel Ward pouncing on a loose puck in front of Tim Thomas just under three minutes into the overtime period to eliminate the reigning Stanley Cup Champions and move to round two. The Capitals do away with the Bruins four games to three with a 2-1 win at TD Garden.

"It's what hockey is all about," Caps coach Dale Hunter said of the win in game seven. "Winning it in overtime in the seventh game, that's something special and well deserved by our guys."

It would be the unsung heroes that would show up big for the Washington Capitals in game seven. Matt Hendricks scored his first goal of the series when Milan Lucic misplayed the puck along the half boards. Jason Chimera picked up the gift, banked the pass back to John Carlson who took a quick shot at the net. Hendricks got his stick on the wrister and deflected it past Thomas for the games first goal in the first period.

The Bruins would storm back and in the second period would finally capitalize on a Braden Holtby mistake in the second period. The Caps' goaltender couldn't contain a point shot and it trickled behind him, Tyler Seguin dove for the loose puck behind Hotby and slammed it into the open net. The tying goal came in the later moments of the second period and it looked like the goal re-energized the Bruins offensive push and they took it to the young goaltender.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Rich Peverley tried to rattle the rookie goaltender after Holtby pushed him away from the crease. He turned and faked a slash on the Caps' netminder. Holtby crossed his arms and didn't even flinch. It mirrored the Capitals demeanor all series long, they didn't get goaded into the Bruins dirty play and get worn down by their hard checking style. They played a patient game and it proved to be a great strategy against the reigning Cup champs. The teams' calm demeanor seem to come from their rookie goaltender.

As Holtby stood strong, the Caps followed suit and over time would seem inevitable. In the over time period,  Patrice Bergeron almost won it for the Bruins when a point shot rebounded to him, but he sharked the shot and the puck harmlessly drifted wide of the net. Just a couple of minutes later, the Bruins, who were going for a line change, turned the puck over by hitting Mike Knuble with the dump in pass. Knuble was able to quickly bring it up the ice and force a two on one with Ward breaking in on this right side. Knuble fought off the backchecker to get a backhanded shot off. Ward, instead of going to the side of the net, cut in front and stabbed at the loose puck that beat Thomas stick side to end the game and the series.

"I was just trying to follow [Knuble] up just in case the puck [was] loose," Ward said of his series ending, overtime goal. "I just kind of saw it and I gave it one of the hardest whacks I have ever given the puck."

The top lines for both teams seemed to be quieted by the tough defense both teams played. No points for the Caps big four of Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nick Backstrom and Mike Green.

Special teams continued to be critical in this series. The Caps couldn't score on their only power play chance in the third period when Bergeron took a hooking call. Alex Ovechkin, who had been muffled for most of the game had a glorious chance when Mike Green found him open across the slot. But Dennis Seidenberg reached out with his leg and stopped the shot that was destined for the back of the net. But the Caps were able to kill all three of their penalties and held the Bruins scoreless with the extra man advantage. Including a golden opportunity in the dying minutes of the third period when Chimera was called for holding with 2:26 left on the clock.

"That was the probably the most frustrating part of our game was that power play that could have ended the series and the game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the game. "But I guess when you look at the whole picture I think it was more than that."

The more Julien was referring to was a very tight series between the Capitals and the Bruins. Through the seven games only 40 shots separated the two teams (208 for the Caps, 248 for the Bs). Only 5 power play goals were scored from a combined 42 chances. The Caps were 3 for 19, Bs were 2 for 23. But there was a glaring difference in totals for shots blocked; 92 for the Bruins and 139 for the Caps. Sacrificing the body and having good puck support in front of Holtby were key to winning against the Bruins.

"[They] have a great team over there," Hunter said of the Bruins. "We know what they are all about, they have character over there. It took everything we had. We have great character guys too and that is why it came down to seven games, one goal. That's unheard of ... You have to credit both teams for that."

"It was a challenging year for our guys," Julien said. "It was a challenging series as well. [The Capitals] made it tough on us and they deserve a lot of credit for the way that they played and the number of shots they blocked and how they helped their goaltender through and their young goaltender played extremely well."

"Seven one goal games, you don't get that very often," Holtby said of the Bruins and the tight series. "I am proud of our team, how we out dueled the defending Stanley Cup Champs. They're a great team as they showed last year and this year. The way they play is true to playoff hockey and it shows a lot about our character in here."

Caps Notes:

• The Capitals second round scenarios pan out like this: If the Rangers defeat Ottawa, Caps will play the Rangers. If Ottawa wins, the Caps would play either the Flyers or the Devils depending on the outcome of the NJ/Florida game seven tomorrow night. Got it?
• All 18 of the Capitals playoff wins in the last four years have come with a rookie goaltender in net.
• This is the first time in NHL history all seven games were decided by one goal. Four games were decided in overtime while two other games were decided with in the last two minutes of the game.