New York Rangers Ride Special Teams Play To 4-3 Win, 2-0 Series Lead Over Washington Capitals


Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals lost to the New York Rangers by a score of 4-3 at Madison Square Garden in Game 2 of the first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series, which New York leads 2-0. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 23 saves in the defeat.

Washington’s Lines

Alex Ovechkin — Connor McMichael — T.J. Oshie
Aliaksei Protas — Dylan Strome — Tom Wilson
Max Pacioretty — Hendrix Lapierre — Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn — Nic Dowd — Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Martin Fehervary — John Carlson
Alexander Alexeyev — Dylan McIlrath
Lucas Johansen — Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper

Scratched: RW Ivan Miroshnichenko, C Mike Sgarbossa, D Hardy Haman Aktell

Out: D Ethan Bear (NHLPA players assistance program), C Nicklas Backstrom (hip), D Rasmus Sandin (upper-body), D Nick Jensen (upper-body), D Vinny Iorio (upper-body)

Haman Aktell, who was recalled from the AHL’s Hershey Bears prior to puck drop, took Iorio’s spot after the 21-year-old was injured in Sunday’s 4-1 loss in Game 1.

New York’s Lines

Chris Kreider — Mika Zibanejad — Jack Roslovic
Artemi Panarin – Vincent Trocheck – Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle — Alexander Wennberg — Kaapo Kakko
Jimmy Vesey — Barclay Goodrow — Matt Rempe

Ryan Lindgren — Adam Fox
K’Andre Miller — Braden Schneider
Erik Gustafsson – Jacob Trouba

Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick

Scratched: D Chad Ruhwedel, D Zac Jones

Out: RW Blake Wheeler (leg), C Filip Chytil (concussion)

FIRST PERIOD

Scoring

5:09, 1-0 Washington: McMichael picked the top corner after Trocheck poked the puck away from Oshie in the slot with Shesterkin swimming in the goal crease for his first career postseason goal. McIlrath recorded his first career playoff assist and point. The assist It marks Oshie’s 60th playoff point as a Capital (29 goals), tying Mike Ridley for the sixth-most playoff points in franchise history.

7:56, 1-1: Trocheck tipped in Gustafsson’s wrist shot from the point top shelf from the low right dot off of an offensive zone faceoff win.

14:28, 2-1 New York (PPG): A wide open Zibanejad wristed a bullet over the glove of Lindgren after Trocheck picked the puck out of a battle in the corner and slid it across to him at the right dot.

Shots: 13-7 New York

Other Notable Stats: 58% New York on faceoffs, 7-3 Washington in blocked shots, 16-11 New York in hits, New York went one-for-two on the power play, Washington did not score on two power plays

Graphs: Natural StatTrick

SECOND PERIOD

Scoring

4:14, 2-2 (PPG): Strome drove to the net and tapped Wilson‘s pass off of the rush over the blocker of Shesterkin and in after Wilson entered the zone and outwaited Trouba. Wilson has now recorded a point in his last three Stanley Cup Playoff games dating back to May 3, 2022 at the Florida Panthers.

12:26, 3-2 New York (PPG): Roslovic roofed a wrister under the bar from the right dot after Gustafsson put the puck on a platter for him from the top.

16:52, 4-2 (SHG): Zibanejad ripped the puck off Ovechkin on the wall and played catch with Kreider before setting up Miller, who roofed it high blocker on Lindgren from the slot.

Shots: 20-18 New York, but 11-8 Washington in the second

Other Notable Stats: 12-10 Washington in hits, 27-17 New York in hits, Washington scored on one of their four power plays while New York struck on two of their four, 60% New York on faceoffs

THIRD PERIOD

Oshie left the game after getting hit up high by Panarin.

Scoring

11:45, 4-3: Wilson deflected Lapierre’s wrister from up top over the shoulder of Shesterkin in the slot after Lapierre got set up by Carlson from the half-wall. Carlson (19-55-74) passed Gary Suter for the fourth-most playoff points by a U.S.-born defensemen in NHL history. Wilson has recorded his eighth career postseason multi-point game and his first since May 15, 2021 vs. Boston. Lapierre, Washington’s first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, recorded his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs assist and point on Wilson’s power-play goal.

Shots: 27-26 New York, 10-8 Washington in third

Other Notable Stats: 58% New York on faceoffs, Washington finished two-for-five on power play and New York went two-for-six, 35-25 New York in hits, 19-18 New York in blocked shots

Game 3: Friday at Capital One Arena (7 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network locally, TNT nationally)

By Harrison Brown





Source link

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR