Welcome to the most exciting time of the year, folks. The playoffs, a place I did not believe I’d be blogging from this season.
The eighth-seeded Capitals – they of a salary cap era worst goal differential (minus-37) for a team that qualified for the postseason — will take on the the first-seeded New York Rangers, who won the Presidents’ Trophy this season. No reasonable prediction model, NHL analyst, or f***ing corgi is picking the Capitals to win. To be blunt, our dear Caps have been counted out before the puck has even dropped.
But there are reasons for optimism. Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren has been lights out, Alex Ovechkin has been on a goals bonaza since he rode a camel, and the Capitals are familiar with Peter Laviolette’s 1-3-1 system. During the regular season, the two Metropolitan Division rivals split their four games against each other two games a piece.
The Rangers, who have struggled to get over the hump (camel pun intended) in recent years, will also be confronted with the pressure and expectations of winning the Stanley Cup. They have one of the deepest rosters in the NHL. It’s now or never.
Regardless of what happens in this series, thank you for being on this journey with us this season. It’s an honor and privilege to dedicate my life’s work to this. Let’s have some fun and feel some feels. And keep all our metaphorical emotions outside the room.
Today’s game is on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin has the call. Puck drop is a bit after 3 pm.
One last thing: LET’S GO CAPS!
Lines
Washington Capitals
New York Rangers
Tunnel weirdness
It's about that time#ALLCAPS | @CaesarsSports pic.twitter.com/RR6kPWJobH
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 21, 2024
1st Period
Charlie Lindgren will oppose Igor Shesterkin in net. Protas-Strome-Wilson and Carlson-Fehervary with the start.
There’s a delay to puck drop as Strome goes to the bench to have his helmet tightened.
Tom Wilson rips the puck at the Rangers bench and it almost hits Peter Laviolette.
There’s a delay to the second faceoff as Chris Kreider has his helmet tightened at the bench. Game within the game, anyone?
Giraffe-on-skates Matt Rempe with a blindside hit on Nicolas Aube-Kubel and he’s already headed to the box. That didn’t take long. Two minutes for charging at 2:07.
Alex Alexeyev to the box for holding at 5:14. That did not look like a penalty, the puck was there the whole time.
Huge saves by Charlie Lindgren, keeping the Rangers off the board on the power play.
Hendrix Lapierre had his entire stick slashed out of his hands by Vincent Trocheck. You can’t do that.
…Oh and now everyone is big mad and congregating and yelling and pushing and shoving. I’ve gotta say, there appears to be a VERY healthy amount of hate and sassing out there. Max Pacioretty is now going to the box too for cross-checking Adam Fox. It’s 4-on-4 hockey at 8:32 for two minutes.
Tom Wilson is going to the box for interference. Wilson ended up dumping Trocheck who crashed into Lindgren in the crease. Penalty call at 13:42.
Beck Malenstyn with an unbelievable shot block at the top of the point. Wow selfless. Lindgren then stops Mika Zibanejad on a huge one timer from the left circle. That’s a hockey card save.
Will Cuylle to the box for holding Hendrix Lapierre at 17:14.
The Rangers outshot the Capitals 7 to 4 in the first period. The five-on-five stats were a blood bath though during the 9:17 they actually played it. NYR owned WSH in attempts (13-2), scoring chances (5-0), and high-danger chances (3-0). Expected goals were NYR 0.52 to NOTHING. Both teams went 0 for 2 on their first period power plays.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Rangers immediately have an odd-man break but a fantastic backcheck by Tom Wilson on Mikz Zibanejad to break it up.
Rempe and Malenstyn have to be separated on the next draw in neutral ice.
The game feels like it’s opening up a little. A little more flow.
Hendrix Lapierre playing big. Throwing a lot of hits. Very chirpy.
Jacob Trouba with a big hit on Sonny Milano. He injured Milano earlier in the year with a high hit.
🚨 1-0 Rangers. Matt Rempe scores his first career playoff goal. Beautiful triangle passing play. Vecey passed the puck into space as Rempe skated out from behind the net. Assists: Vesey and Goodrow. Time of goal 4:17.
🚨 2-0 Rangers. Artemi Panarin calls his own number and scores on a two-on-one. Alexis Lafrenière created the play after shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Vincent Iorio that sent him awkwardly into the side boards. Assists: Trocheck and Lafrenière. Time of goal 4:50. Two Rangers goals 33 seconds apart.
Vincent Iorio was injured on the play and is down the tunnel to the locker room as the Rangers are celebrating.
🚨 3-0 Rangers. Jimmy Vesey scores off a faceoff win. Matt Rempe elbowed Beck Malenstyn in his head, no call. Malenstyn is incensed at the Capitals bench throwing up his elbow to mimic what Rempe did. Assist: Goodrow. Time of goal 6:23.
🚨 3-1 Rangers. Martin Fehervary scores in front of the net with a tap-in after a great pass from Tom Wilson. Assists: Wilson and Protas. Time of goal: 7:31. The goal was initially credited to Fehervary, then Wilson, and now back to Fehervary.
I wasn’t kidding things were opening up.
Connor McMichael draws a slashing penalty on Alexis Lafrenière at 9:20.
Vincent Iorio is questionable to return.
Vincent Iorio leaves Game One after hard hit into side boards by Alexis Lafrenière
Trevor van Riemsdyk engaged the entire Rangers team as the second period ended. 🤣 Almost every Rangers player circled around him and he was STILL poppin off.
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) April 21, 2024
The Rangers are outshooting the Capitals 16 to 15 and out-attempting the Capitals 33 to 24 at five-on-five. The Rangers lead in five-on-five expected goals 1.04 to 0.70.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
“He barely moves out there,” Craig Laughlin on Matt Rempe.
“Well, earlier, you called him the Rempire State Building,” Joe Beninati says in response. lol.
Vincent Trocheck to the box for tripping Trevor van Riemsdyk behind the net at 1:57.
Kaapo Kakko beats Lindgren clean on a two-on-one but his shot rings hard off the post and out.
The Capitals had 0 shots in the first 12 minutes of the third period. I’m not sure that’s a winning strategy, but we’ll see how it plays out.
Friends, the Capitals just got a shot on goal.
their first and only shot on goal is an EIGHTY TWO FOOTER pic.twitter.com/MUhBnHYO4G
— RMNB (@rmnb) April 21, 2024
Dylan McIlrath and Matt Rempe have a moment exchanging shoves in the third. Rempe was laughing. They fought before in the AHL. Looked like McIlrath was reminding him that he won it.
McIlrath, on a potential fight with Rempe, told RMNB's @katieEadler: "There’s not a lot of scraps in playoffs, but you know what, if it happens, it happens." https://t.co/8e6us2a19t
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) April 21, 2024
🚨 4-1 Rangers. Breakaway goal Chris Kreider. Assists: Zibanejad, Roslovic. Time of goal: 16:17.
Shesterkin with a great save on Protas in front of the net. His best of the game. Then the game devolves into pushing and shoving. Tom Wilson and Dylan McIlrath in the middle of the net. McIlrath dislodged the net knocking over a Rangers player.
Braden Schneider, Tom Wilson, and Dylan McIlrath all get misconducts are effectively tossed at the 19:00 mark.
Rangers win Game One 4-1. The Rangers outshot the Capitals 31 to 21 and out-attempted them 54 to 40 at five-on-five.
Please read the RMNB recap:
Comment on the game below along with us! The comment section will close shortly after the game ends and we hope you’ll continue the conversation in RMNB’s recap.
