After a dominant 4-1 win in Game One and a 4-3 win in Game 2, the New York Rangers head into Game Three with a 2-0 series lead on the Washington Capitals. It is also the third straight playoff series the Rangers are up 2-0 through two games (2022 ECF vs Lightning and 2023 First Round vs Devils). How can the Rangers keep history from repeating itself? Offensive contributions from all lines and shutting down Alex Ovechkin are the biggest factors.
All of the Rangers’ forward lines are producing
During the regular season, the New York Rangers got most of their offensive production from one line. Fans and media personalities alike were skeptical of the Rangers making a deep playoff push for this exact reason.
Through the first two games, nine of the 12 Ranger fowards have recorded at least one point. In Game 1, it was the fourth line that carried most of the offensive production.
As mentioned previously, most of the Rangers’ offensive production in the regular season came from one line with depth scoring being a major issue. With the fourth line combining for five points (And a Matt Rempe goal), it provided more than enough. And as a result, the top six didn’t have nearly as big of a workload. They were able to play their own brand of hockey.
Artemi Panarin and the second line have continued to play at a high level
Artemi Panarin played what seemed to be his best and most relaxing playoff game as a Ranger in Game 1. The second line combined for three points, including a Panarin goal. The first line combined for three as well on Chris Kreider’s breakaway goal to ice the game.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the teams that have all or most of their lines contributing are the ones that find themselves making deep pushes and even end up winning the Stanley Cup. If the Rangers want to end this series quickly and continue their trek toward Lord Stanley, they are going to need everyone to keep contributing offensively.
The Rangers have been keeping Alex Ovechkin quiet
The playoff history between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals, specifically Alex Ovechkin, is rich. The 38-year-old star has faced the Rangers five times dating back to their first meeting during the 2009 playoffs. He has played 35 games putting up a statline of 13 Goals, 10 Assists, 23 Points, and 151 shots on goal.
So far in this series, Ovechkin has been a non-factor for the Washington Capitals. Through the first two games, he has a combined one shot on goal.
In Game 1, Ovechkin did not record a single shot on goal. It marked the fourth time, ever, that he was held to zero shots on goal in the playoffs, and his second time against the Rangers. On the penalty kill, they made sure to have somebody shaded closely to Ovechkin taking away his shooting lanes anytime he got the puck.
In Game 2, it was much of the same for Ovechkin. While he did record a shot on goal, he wasn’t able to get anything going offensively. During his post-game presser, Caps head coach Spencer Carbery had this to say:
If the Rangers don’t continue to defend Ovechkin the way they were in Game 1 and Game 2, it could allow the Cpaitals to find their way back into the series. They have to keep finding ways to make him a non-factor to end this series sooner rather than later.
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