The Rangers and Capitals traded goals all game, but in the end it was the Capitals who scored last.
Washington’s Mike Green made the score 3-2 on a wicked slapshot at 14:12
in the third period. It would hold up for the game-winner. The teams
have now split a pair in their respective home arenas to make it 2-2 in
the series.
Game 5 is Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
With the Capitals coming off an epic, triple-overtime loss in Game 3,
the question was how they would respond. They responded with a ferocious
opening period.
“The message has the been the same throughout the whole playoffs,”
Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner told NBC after the game. “A loss
is a loss and you move on. That’s the way you’ve got to play it.”
The entire first period appeared to be played in the Rangers’ zone.
Washington outshot the Rangers, 14-3, on goal and broke through on an
unassisted slapshot by Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin shot the puck from 40
feet out, which deflected off Henrik Lundqvist’s glove and into the net.
Artem Anisimov answered with a goal just 1:10 in the second period to
even it up. He took a feed from in front of the crease, waited for the
puck to clear Braden Holtby’s right leg and flicked it into the left
side of the net.
Nicklas Backstrom again gave the Capitals the lead at the 11:54 mark
after delivering a blow to Anisimov with the back of his elbow in front
of the boards. He then made his way in front of the net, took a feed
from Jason Chimera and beat Lundqvist for the goal.
Gaborik, who scored the winner in Game 3, tied the game up at 2-2 with a
goal just under five minutes after Backstrom’s. He took a pass from
Anisimov behind the net and put it in for his third goal of the
postseason.
It remained tied at 2-2 until Green’s game-winner.
Both goaltenders played well, but it was Holtby who had 18 saves and the win.
“He’s making huge saves for us,” said Alzner, who had four hits and led
Washington with 22:09 of ice time. “It’s what we need. Holtzy’s been
doing an excellent job.”
Monday’s Game 5 will again see a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden.
The game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. and will be critical to New York as
they hope to force a Game 7 in their home building.
“We’re hoping that they’re getting a little tired over there,” Altzen
said. “To play at MSG you have to play simple and try to take the crowd
out of it.”
Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.
