(Washington) Artemi Panarin scored the game-winning goal in the third period and the New York Rangers became the first National Hockey League team to advance to the second round of the playoffs on Sunday with a 4-2 against the Washington Capitals.
Panarin scored his team’s second goal on a power play at 3:21 of the final period to definitively give the Rangers the lead, who won this series in four games. This is the fourth sweep in the history of the New York club in a best-of-seven-game series.
“We are happy,” Panarin said after the meeting. We will continue. I can’t say we played badly. We played well, but I think we can do better. »
Kaapo Kakko, Vincent Trocheck and Jack Roslovic also lit the red light in victory. Panarin and Mika Zibanejad (two assists) finished the game with two points, and Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
“We have a few more days to rest, that’s always good,” Shesterkin commented. It’s more time to practice, build our confidence and see who we’ll play in the next round. »
“I think he was excellent,” Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette said of his goaltender. When the game is on the line, he is always there to make an important save. »
Quebecer Hendrix Lapierre scored his first career playoff goal in the defeat. Martin Fehervary also scored for the Capitals. Former Montreal Canadiens goalie Charlie Lindgren stopped 19 shots.
Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin was shut out in a series for the first time in his career. He was limited to five shots on goal.
“I didn’t play well,” Ovechkin said. I didn’t have the opportunities. [J’essayais] to find different ways to score. »
The Rangers will face either the Carolina Hurricanes or the New York Islanders in the second round. The Hurricanes lead 3-1 in this series.
Changes on both sides
Despite the lackluster game for the Capitals, Nick Jensen did not seem to grasp the urgency of the moment. The defender simply lost the puck in front of his goalie, and Kakko took advantage of a quality opportunity to open the scoring after only 57 seconds of play in the first.
It was his fourth goal in 33 playoff games since his debut in the National Hockey League.
Fehervary brought the two teams back to even footing when the Rangers lost the puck in their own zone. Aliaksei Protas gave him the puck in the slot and he beat Shesterkin with a perfect shot at 14:54.
Trocheck gave the Rangers the lead for the first time in this power play duel, 16 seconds from the end of the first period. Well placed in front of Lindgren, he hit the target for a third time in this series, this time with a one-timer.
Lapierre then tied the game with a great individual effort at 7:48 of the second period. Taking advantage of a turnover created by his teammate Alexander Alexeyev, who handed him the puck, the former Chicoutimi Saguenéens bypassed the defenders to make a backhand shot and score by recovering his own return.
Lapierre ended a streak of 19 games – season and series combined – without a point with this net.
Panarin then made the difference for the 1994 Stanley Cup champions. A penalty to Rasmus Sandin with 2:42 left in the third then ended the Capitals’ hopes.
Roslovic confirmed his team’s victory in an empty net 51 seconds from the final whistle.