Playoff Takeaways: Rangers hold off Capitals, become first team to advance

The New York Rangers were the first team in the NHL to clinch a playoff spot, and they’re also the first to advance to the second round. 

The Washington Capitals have been swept, and their captain Alex Ovechkin was held without a point in these playoffs, and without a shot in Game 4.  

New York won their fourth straight, and Artemi Panarin had two points in the 4-2 victory on Sunday night in Washington, including the game-winner. 

The Rangers will face the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders series in the second round.

Here are our takeaways from Game 4: 

Tough turnover quiets crowd

Maybe this was a hint at what was to come: The Rangers struck 57 seconds into the game, and sucked the air right out of Capital One Arena. 

Veteran Capitals defender Nick Jensen was deep in his team’s zone with the puck, and facing pressure from Will Cuylle. The Rangers forward forced a turnover that landed right on the stick of New York’s Kaapo Kakko, who one-timed it past Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren. 

The game featuring a Washington team desperate to win was less than a minute old, and it was already 1-0 New York. 

Knee on Fox leads to N.Y. regaining lead

Late in the first, after Washington had tied things up, Rangers defender Adam Fox fell to the ice after a knee-on-knee hit by Jensen. Fox wasn’t happy as he watched the replay of the play that sent Jensen to the box for tripping, though Fox returned to the ice shortly after. It’s the same knee Fox hurt earlier this season.

But New York got their revenge. On the ensuing power play, Mika Zibanejad dished a pass to Vincent Trocheck in front, and Trocheck controlled the pass with his skate, kicked it to his stick and snapped it over Lindgren. New York was up 2-1 with just seconds to go in the first. 

Then, as Fox was skating to celebrate with his teammates, he and Tom Wilson got into a skirmish, and both teams were tussling behind the net. Wilson got a penalty on the play, and there was non-stop chatter between the benches to close out the first period. 

It isn’t a great idea to give the Rangers a power play — they were third-best in the league with the man advantage in the regular season, and that goal by Trocheck marked their fourth on the power play this series. (There was one more to come on Sunday, too).  

Trocheck’s goal was his third of the playoffs, which leads the Rangers. 

Lapierre brings the heat

A bright spot for the Capitals was Hendrix Lapierre, who tied things up nearly mid-way through the second on a great individual effort. He picked up the puck at Washington’s blueline, then sped around a New York defender and jumped on his own rebound. Lapierre went down for a low first-pump and yelled “come on!” 

Before the game, Lapierre read out Washington’s starting lineup with some intense fire, and got his teammates going. 

This baby was all tied up, and the crowd was fired up again. 

Ovi blanked

Alex Ovechkin was buzzing around the net late in the game as the Capitals were pressing, but he was again held off the scoresheet Sunday. 

Ovechkin was one of four Capitals players who had no shots on net in Game 4. 

Coming into Sunday, he’d scored 13 goals in playoff games when facing elimination. 

Breadman strikes 

T.J. Oshie took a high-sticking penalty on Trocheck, and Artemi Panarin struck on the power play just 11 seconds later. 

Panarin came around the Capitals net, got a pass from Zibanejad from the point, and fired it past Lindgren for his second goal of the playoffs, which put New York up 3-2 early in the third period, and stood up as the winner. 

And though New York was visiting Washington, a fan in the crowd had a giant stuffed piece of bread, and pumped it in the air in celebration after Panarin scored. 

Washington’s desperate finish delayed

The Capitals were pushing and getting their chances in the third, but with fewer than three minutes to go, Washington took a penalty. That delayed their chances of pulling Lindgren. 

Jack Roslovic added the empty-netter for New York.