Rangers Sweep Capitals, Become First Team To Advance To Second Round OF Playoffs
The New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 in Game 4 to become the first team to advance to the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 4-2 to become the first team to advance to the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Rangers benefited from an early turnover to open the scoring in the first. After the puck slipped off of Nick Jensen's stick, Kaapo Kaako found the loose change in the slot and buried it past Lindgren, giving New York a 1-0 lead:
Washington had the answer for Kaako's first of the playoffs. After a failed Rangers clearance, Dylan Strome, Aliaksei Protas, and Martin Fehervary moved the puck from right to left, with the defenseman getting his second of the series to tie it at one at 14:45 of the period:
The game took a turn at 18:51 of the period, as Adam Fox was taken down on a trip by Jensen, and the Rangers made Washington pay. A tic-tac-toe passing play by Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trochek gave the Rangers the 2-1 lead right before the period ended, with Trochek coming up with the red light:
New York outshot Washington 10-8 in the first period, with the Capitals giving the puck away eight times to the Rangers' two giveaways.
In the second, the Capitals once again had the answer for the Rangers' lead on a strong effort by Hendrix Lapierre. After slicing through the middle of New York's defense, he put a shot on Igor Shesterkin, which resulted in a rebound.
The forward finished what he started to tie the game at 7:48 of the middle frame:
Washington upped the tempo in the period, outshooting New York 10-7. The Capitals still had seven turnovers in the second but forced five giveaways from the Rangers compared to their two in the first
With the game tied entering the third, the Rangers took the lead on an early penalty by T.J. Oshie. New York cycled the puck around the perimeter on the man-advantage, going from Fox to Zibanejad and, ultimately, Panarin. The Rangers' All-Star finished a spin-around shot in front the give them a 3-2 lead at 3:21 of the third.
Zibanjead's two helpers gives him points in his last 10 games dating back to April 5, totaling three goals and 12 assists in that span.
After a successful penalty kill, the Rangers got hemmed in their zone during the final five minutes. However, Shesterkin slammed the door, finishing the game 21 saves. After a Rasmus Sandin penalty, Jack Roslovic scored a power play goal into an empty net, sealing a 4-2 win and a trip to the Second Round:
The Rangers will play the winner of the New York Islanders-Carolina Hurricanes series. Carolina holds a 3-1 advantage in the series; Game 5 is Tuesday.