New York Rangers topple Washington Capitals, 3-2: NHL Play-off Recap
Brandon Dubinsky lit the lamp late in the final session to lead the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory against the Washington Capitals, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final set, at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night.
Vinny Prospal and Erik Christensen both also hit the net for New York, which had lost its previous two games in Washington and was 0-for-4 on the power-play in the first two games of the series. The Rangers are looking to pull even in Game 4 in Manhattan on Wednesday.
Henrik Lundqvist was strong between the pipes, turning away 23 shots to earn his first win of these play-offs.
Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble each found the back of the net for Washington, which had taken the first two games in America's Capital. Michal Neuvirth played well but came up just short in the loss, making 32 saves.
New York had a chance to score on a 5-on-3 advantage for an 85-second span late in the first period, but Rangers were unable to take advantage and the first period remained goal-less.
However, the Rangers got the scoring started on a power-play just 5 ½ minutes into the middle period, when Christensen ripped a shot from a sharp angle at the top of the right circle over Neuvirth's left shoulder and the puck found its way through a small space under the crossbar. It was the Rangers’ second power-play goal in 35 opportunities.
The Capitals knotted the game at 1-1 with one minute left in the second period. The play was set up by Jason Arnott, who held control of the puck at the top of the crease and fired a shot on the net. Ovechkin got his stick on the shot and jammed the puck home for his 22nd goal in 31 NHL play-off contests.
New York almost scored another goal with one second left in the second period, but it was waived off, as the buzzer sounded when the puck got past Neuvirth and green light above the net signalled that time ran out. The officials confirmed after a replay that the clock struck 0.0 before the puck went over the line.
The Rangers, though, went on top, 2-1, again just eight minutes into the final session. It happened so when Marc Staal's snap-shot struck Neuvirth high in the shoulder and a rebound trickled out to Prospal, who was left all alone at the right side of the crease and he buried the puck into the net.
Knuble pulled the Capitals even at 2-2 on a power-play with a little over five minutes left in the third period, when he blasted a rebound of a Nicklas Backstrom’s shot into the net.
Dubinsky finally sealed the win at 3-2 with less than two minutes left in the third period, as he stick-handled the puck along the goal line to the left of the Capitals' net, made a stick move near the crease and then unleashed a shot that appeared to slide off Washington defender Karl Alzner before floating up and over Neuvirth.
"We had too many guys in the corner in a 4-on-4 situation. Then, they come out and Dubinsky throws it at the net, it hits our guy in the shoulder, bounces over our goaltender and goes in the net. It counts." The Capitals' head coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Washington pulled Neuvirth out of the net in the last minute, but failed to find equaliser.
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