Rangers advance to second round by completing sweep of Capitals
Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Washington Capitals during the first period in Game Four on Sunday. Credit: Getty Images/Scott Taetsch
WASHINGTON — The Rangers, the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot this season, became the first to win a playoff series and advance to the second round of the postseason Sunday night when they beat the Washington Capitals, 4-2, at Capital One Arena to complete a sweep of the best-of-seven series.
As was the case throughout the series, special teams proved to be the difference in Game 4. The Rangers scored three power-play goals, including Artemi Panarin’s game-winner at 3:21 of the third period, and the penalty kill snuffed out two Washington power plays, including one that the Capitals were awarded less than two minutes after Panarin’s goal broke a 2-2 tie.
“Not our best game, probably, overall, but I think the power play came up with a big goal at the start of the third and Shesty [goalie Igor Shesterkin] made some good saves in the third,’’ Jacob Trouba said. “I think it was good to be able to win a game when we’re not at our best and find a way to close out a series.’’
Shesterkin made 23 saves to earn his 17th career playoff victory and move past John Davidson and into a tie for fourth place with Dave Kerr on the franchise list for playoff victories. Shesterkin allowed only seven goals as the Rangers completed their first series sweep since the first round of the 2007 playoffs against the Atlanta Thrashers.
“He can steal any game he really wants, and he’s made a big saves at pivotal moments,’’ Trouba said. “And we know what we have back there. We don’t want to rely on him, but we do have breakdowns and mistakes, and we have complete trust that he’s there to have our backs.’’
The Rangers await the conclusion of the series between the Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes to determine whom they will face next. The Hurricanes lead that series 3-1, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Jack Roslovic’s second power- play goal of the series, this one into an empty net with 51.0 seconds left, sealed the game and the series. Vincent Trocheck got the Rangers’ other power-play goal in the closing seconds of the first period. Kaapo Kakko got the Rangers started with a goal in the opening minute of the game.
Martin Fehervary and Hendrix Lapierre scored for Washington.
Capitals star Alex Ovechkin finished the series with no points. It was the first time in his career that he’s finished a postseason with zero points. He had only five shots on goal in the four games.
“He’s arguably one of the best if not the best goal-scorer of all time, and you have to pay a little bit more attention to him on the penalty kill,’’ said Trocheck, whose third goal of the series gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 15 seconds left in the second period.
The Rangers went 6-for-16 on the power play, killed 15 of 17 penalties and scored two shorthanded goals in the series.
“The specialty teams have been really strong the entire year,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “The power play was firing down at the end of the season, the penalty kill has been on point, and so specialty teams, we talk about it all the time. I mean, it factors so much into a game. It factors into a series. You’re going to need excellent performances from both in order to keep moving along.’’
The Capitals, playing without defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, who was injured in Game 3 on a crushing hit by rookie Matt Rempe, did get a boost from the return of defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin, who had missed the first three games of the series with injuries.
But on his first shift, Jensen was pressured by Will Cuylle and whiffed on an attempted clearing pass from his own zone, sending the puck directly to Kakko, who was all alone in the slot. He whipped a quick shot past goalie Charlie Lindgren (19 saves) to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead 57 seconds into the game.
The Capitals tied it on a goal by defenseman Fehervary at 14:54 of the period, but after Jensen was sent off for tripping Adam Fox — his knee appeared to catch Fox’s knee and sent Fox to the ice — the Rangers took the lead on Trocheck’s goal, a pretty tic-tac-toe play in which Fox sent the puck to Panarin, who sent it to Mika Zibanejad, who set up Trocheck in the slot.
Washington tied it at 2-2 on a goal by Lapierre at 7:48 of the second period, which set the stage for Panarin and the penalty kill to win it in the third.
Said Kakko, “Now we get some rest, watch all the other games and we’ll see who we’re going to play next.”
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
