Much has already been said about how Washington and the Rangers made the playoffs. Therefore, this alone already puts the “capital” team, which miraculously got a ticket to the Stanley Cup, in the position of a clear outsider. No wonder: the regular season champion is against them.
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The first game of the series, however, began with Washington’s pressure and power play. Alexander Ovechkin failed to adapt to the shot a couple of times, John Carlson almost hit Igor Shesterkin once. As a result, the capitals did not take advantage of his opportunity.
And after just a couple of minutes, the Rangers had the opportunity to exploit their numerical advantage. The home team bombed and literally terrorized the guests, but they also failed to score.
Artemiy Panarin took over the game several times and effectively outplayed his opponents, but his shots were “stolen” by Washington goalkeeper Charlie Lindgren.
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As a result, the first half ended with serious and expected pressure from the Rangers, who, however, failed to take advantage of it.
Early in the second half of the game, the Capitals created a surprising opportunity. Sonny Milano received a pass on the right wing and crossed it to Max Pacioretty, who failed to hit the puck. There was an empty door in front of him!
And in the 25th minute, the capital gave way. Rangers tough guy Matt Rempe ran into the attack and carried the puck into the opponent’s zone. Jimmy Vesey won the fight on the front board and launched the puck to the point, and from there Rempe sent the puck into the goal! 1:0 – and the first goal of the series is unexpectedly scored by the tough guy.
You can watch the video on the official NHL website. Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP.
And 33 seconds later, the Rangers doubled their lead. Alexi Lafreniere played hard against Caps defenseman Vincent Iorio, slamming his opponent into the boards and stealing the puck. The forward passed to Vincent Trocheck, who in turn passed to Panarin, and Artemy hit Lindgren a second time.
Iorio was injured in this episode and went to the locker room.
And less than two minutes later, the third puck flew into the Washington goal. Barkley Goodrow won the throw-in, Vesey was the first to grab the rebound and shoot – 3:0!
A little over a minute passed and Washington pulled one goal back. Tom Wilson received a pass from Alexey Protas and passed it into the box. There the puck hit defenseman Martin Fehervary and flew towards the goal. 1:3! There was a feeling that the intrigue had not yet died in this match.
You can watch the video on the official NHL website. Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP.
Until the end of the period, the capital managed to create several dangerous moments, but its activity quickly faded. The Rangers regained the initiative.
At the beginning of the third half the score almost reached 4:1. The locals launched a two-on-one counterattack that ended with a powerful shot. Lindgren had already returned it, but the puck hit the frame of the goal and returned to the field.
And in the 56th minute the score was 4-1. After a great pass, Chris Kreider ran one-on-one and spectacularly beat the Capitals goalie.
You can watch the video on the official NHL website. Video rights belong to NHL Enterprises, LP.
As a result, Washington really couldn’t create anything else. The leader of the “capital”, Alexander Ovechkin, did not take any shots on goal and earned a utility rating of “-1”. At the same time, Protas became the best in the visiting lineup, shooting up to six times.
And Rangers are preparing in good spirits for the second game. After all, they took the lead in the series: 1-0.
