Now for the real Rangers test — Friday night in Joe Biden's town.
Now for the real Rangers test — Friday night in Joe Biden's town.
The Capitals finally got serious on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden about making this New York-Washington series interesting.
For a change, they not only hit but scored and darn near tied the game during a subway rush-hour kind of finish. But, in the end, New York prevailed, 4-3.
"It was a more grinding game," said Rangers captain Jacob Trouba, "and it had a real playoff feel to it."
Trouba and mates are feeling good not merely because they're up two-zip in the series but they took the Capitals best body checks, survived the skirmishes and, in the end, Igor Shesterkin was a better goalkeeper than Charlie Lindgren
Trouba: "This was a game played not the way you would draw it up but that doesn't matter, we got a win."
New York's winning goal was something the folks in Rangerville have become accustomed to this season; a nifty short-hander which was the product of a hefty PK forecheck.
A Mika Zibanejad give-and-go with Chris Kreider started the play with defenseman K'Andre Miller -- playing better by each game -- busting in to take the pass and drill the winner past Lindgren.
The red-lighter at 16:52 of the second period proved to be the winner after the Visitors revved things up in the final period. Now for Game Three.
Ovie and his buddy Tom Wilson are looking to be the difference-makers at home. The burly Wilson made it close at The Garden with his third period power play goal.
That inspired Washington coach Spencer Carberry to pull Lindgren with plenty to go in the third; but Shesterkin said, "No!"
On Friday night the DC-ers will be home where they could get more serious if Mister Goose Egg, Alex Ovechkin, finally gets a goal.
So far, the Caps captain has scored the square-root-of- nothing and his coach knows why.
"Ovie is struggling," Carbuty explained, "because of the tough matchups the Rangers are setting. But -- at home -- we'll dictate the matchups and that next game could be the difference in this series."
What The Caps discovered is that even when The Mighty Matt Rempe does not score, the Blueshirts manage to win.
"Still," said goalie Lindtgren, "we did a good job of pushing."
We can expect an even harder push from the Caps and we'll see how this prized Rangers outfit reacts in its first playoff road game.
"Look," asserted the Rangers Jack Roslovic who got a power play goal for the 3-2 lead, "we weathered their storm and then we brought it to them."
The Rangers succeeded with their strong suits — the PP and PK — which accounted for three of the four goals and yeah, for a change, even Mighty Mika was a lamplighter; his first of the postseason.
"It was a hard-fought game," agreed Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, whose club needs only two more W's to advance to the second round.
Still Carberry is secure in the knowledge that his club didn't quit and — better still — won't quit at home in The Nation's Capital.
"We did a ton of good things in New York," Carberry said.
The trouble was that the Blueshirts did a ton-and-a-HALF!
Now the question is; will Lavvy's Rangers be A-1 in D.C.?
Stay tuned; you know that Igor will!