Matt Rempe and Artemi Panarin scored 33 seconds apart in a three-goal second period as the New York Rangers opened the postseason with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Washington Capitals in an Eastern Conference first-round series on Sunday.
Jimmy Vesey had a goal and an assist to help the Rangers get a three-goal lead in the first 6:23 of the second following an evenly played opening period.
Barclay Goodrow collected two assists for the Rangers, who can take a 2-0 lead at home in the best-of-seven series on Tuesday night.
Chris Kreider also scored by finishing off a breakaway with 3:43 left as the Rangers dominated most of the flow after getting their lead.
Martin Fehervary scored in the second for the Capitals, who were 0-for-4 on the power play.
New York goalie Igor Shesterkin made 20 saves.
Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren allowed four goals on 31 shots.
After taking the game’s initial penalty, Rempe cycled the puck around and emerged from behind the net at the right side of the crease. He was open at the edge of the crease and lifted Vesey’s cross-ice pass by Lindgren 4:17 into the second.
A hit by Alexis Lafreniere on Washington defenseman Vincent Iorio helped the Rangers double the lead moments later. Following the hit, Lafreniere made the pass from the right to Vincent Trocheck.
Trocheck dished the puck to Panarin, who was alone in the left faceoff circle and lifted the puck by Lindgren’s right arm.
Following New York’s offensive zone faceoff win, Vesey beat Washington defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to the loose puck and from between the circles lifted a shot past Lindgren with 13:37 remaining in the first.
The Capitals finally scored when Tom Wilson’s cross-ice pass to Fehervary banked off Mika Zibanejad’s skate in front of the net and past Shesterkin with 12:29 left in the second.
After the goals, the level of physicality increased and the second ended with van Riemsdyk getting into a verbal confrontation with several New York players before officials intervened.
Before the second, a tightly contested opening period saw the teams combine for 11 shots on goal.
Lindgren made consecutive point-blank stops on Zibanejad and Panarin on New York’s first power play and then moved slightly out of the crease to deny Zibanejad with about 5 1/2 minutes left.
Shesterkin kept the game scoreless by making a glove stop on Dylan Strome’s shot from between the circles with about two minutes left.
–Field Level Media
