Rangers Win Special Teams Battle, Beat Capitals 4-3 To Take 2-0 Series Lead

Backed by two power-play goals and a shorthanded tally, the New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 series lead.

NEW YORK, NY  --  Backed by two power-play goals and a shorthanded tally, the New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 series lead. 

Here's how it happened: 

After being held without a shot in Game One, the fourth time that's happened in his playoff career, Alex Ovechkin recorded his first shot on goal early into Game Two. 

Connor McMichael opened the scoring at 5:09 of the first. After Ryan Lindgren knocked the puck off of. T.J. Oshie's stick, the Capitals forward saw the puck land right on his stick before beating Shesterkin for an early 1-0 lead:

The Capitals' lead only lasted for 2:47 as Vincent Trocheck beautifully angled the puck into the net off a slap-pass from Erik Gustafsson at 7:56 of the first:

After a successful penalty kill, the Rangers took their first lead of the night on the power play with 5:32 left in the first period. 

Trocheck made a terrific pass to Mika Zibanejad in open space, whose shot deflected before beating Lindgren high glove for the 2-1 score:

Alexis Lafreniere was credited with the secondary assist.

New York poured on the shots, leading 13-7 after 20 minutes.

Early in the second, Washington tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal from Dylan Strome at 4:14 of the middle frame. 

Tom Wilson made a great feed across the crease to Strome, who buried for the tying tally:

Max Pacioretty was given the secondary assist.

With 7:34 to go in the second, Jack Roslovic opened his Rangers' playoff account with a power-play goal that made it 3-2 New York, a short-side snipe.

The puck was worked around by Lafreniere and Gustafsson, who each tallied assists for setting up the goal.

At 15:40 of the second period, Erik Gustafsson took a delay-of-game penalty.

After a strong start to the penalty kill, the Capitals tried to regroup in the neutral zone, sending the puck across the ice to Alex Ovechkin, but Zibanejad picked it off before K'Andre Miller buried a tic-tac-toe shorthander to extend the Rangers' lead to 4-2 at 16:52 of the second:

Chris Kreider earned the secondary helper. 

After two periods the Rangers led by two. Washington had 11 shots compared to the Rangers eight, but conceded more goals and were down 4-2.

Wilson made it a one-goal game with 8:15 left on the clock. He deflected a point shot from Hendrix Lapierre past Shesterkin while on the power play to make it 4-3:

The secondary assist went to John Carlson.

Despite a late push by Capitals with their net empty, the Rangers held on for the win.

UP NEXT: The series shifts to Washington on Friday night for Game 3 between the Rangers and Capitals.

LINES:

Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Jack Roslovic

Artemi Panarin -- Vincent Trocheck -- Alexis Lafreniere

Will Cuylle -- Alex 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