Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Capitals in Game 2 of this first-round series represented a multifaceted victory for the Rangers, who collected two power-play goals and a shorthanded goal in the victory.
There’s a lot to like about the Blueshirts’ special teams game through their first two playoff contests.
While they have only capitalized on two of the eight power plays they have earned so far, the Rangers have utilized their time with the man-advantage to create momentum.
They generate shots, occupy significant zone time and are relentless in their retrieval of pucks to keep it all going.
After fending off all four of the Capitals’ power plays in Game 1, the Rangers’ penalty kill may have given up two on Tuesday, but the team also scored one.
“I mean, I don’t know how Mika [Zibanejad] sees me there,” said K’Andre Miller, who scored off a shorthanded rush after Zibanejad teed him up as he trailed the play. “It’s an unreal play by him. [Chris Kreider] taking out three of their guys, bringing all the attention to him and I was just sneaking in down the pipe and just tried to get something on net.”
The Rangers’ second power-play unit got in on the action in the second period, when Jack Roslovic went top shelf on Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren from the right circle to give his team a 3-2 lead.
“It’s amazing,” Roslovic said of his first taste of playoff hockey since the bubble playoffs in 2020 with the Jets. “It’s what everybody wants to play for and I was a little bit younger when I was in the playoffs.
You think it might be pretty easy to get in every year and you learn it’s not and you learn why.”
Vincent Iorio was sidelined with an upper-body injury in Game 2, after Rangers wing Alexis Lafreniere obliterated the Capitals defenseman against the boards in Game 1 on Sunday.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery described Iorio as day-to-day. As a result, Lucas Johansen made his playoff debut in the Capitals loss.
The Capitals’ blue line is pretty beat up at the moment, with Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin remaining in non-contact jerseys Tuesday morning.
The Rangers are scheduled to be off on Wednesday before they practice one more time in New York on Thursday before heading to Washington D.C. for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
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