N.Y. Rangers: Alex Ovechkin Lowers Iron Curtain on Artemi Panarin and the Blueshirts

From the desk: RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS

ALEX OVECHKIN

Photo: 2008 Playoffs vs. Rangers

FRIDAY

Rangers  1

Capitals 2

FINAL

At 13:18 of the third period, Alex Ovechkin scored his 13th goal of the season.  Three minutes and nine seconds later, he would score again, giving the Caps a 2-1 lead and Washington's final margin of victory.  

Ovechkin's patented one-timer from the left circle - that unmistakable shot we've witnessed now for sixteen years, one of the singularly greatest NHL mental snapshots of all-time - played a part in neither goal against the Rangers.

In fact, these were of the variety even Phil Esposito would be proud of.  Positioned in front and boxing out Blueshirts, Ovechkin twice cleaned up loose rebounds for goal #719 and #720 of his illustrious career.  He recently passed former Boston Bruins and New York Rangers favorite and Hall of Famer Phil Esposito who's 717 goals now rank seventh all-time.  Fifth on the all-time list is Marcel Dionne, with 731 goals.  That puts Ovechkin eleven goals away from tying Dionne with 26 regular-season games left to play.

717 Career Goals; 184 w/ Rangers

Coming off an impressive 9-0 shutout of the Flyers, Alexandar Georgiev faced just 18 shots on goal.  He stopped all but two.  After making initial saves, he left two free-range rebounds in front with nary a Blueshirt around to contest Alex Ovechkin, who easily cleaned up.  

Meanwhile, the Rangers peppered Washington goalie Vitek Vanecek with 33 shots who stopped all but one, a power-play goal by Artemi Panarin at 16:42 of the first period.  It was his eighth goal in 18 games this season.  Moreover, Panarin has registered seven points in his last four games since returning from Russia.

This was Washington's first defeat of the Rangers in three games.

N.Y. Islanders: Power Play Remains Short Circuited

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019   PLAYOFFS   2020

Isles Lead Caps; 3-1

I - NYI 4; WAS 2

II - NYI 5; WAS 2

III - NYI 2; WAS 1*

IV - WAS 2; NYI 1

*overtime

Alex Ovechkin Helps Capitals Avert Elimination

Winning the fourth game of a playoff series is always hardest for a reason.

Washington is not going down lightly, especially with Alex Ovechkin on the ice.  The Capitals stave off elimination with a victory in game four, making the series 3-1 in favor of the Isles.  Without thinking too loudly, I wouldn't want my team sitting around after a sweep.  More hockey may be a good thing.

But hockey fans know very well the deeper a series and the playoffs go the more important special teams become.  Given five PP opportunities in game four, the Islanders again come up empty.  The Isles are now an anemic 1/19 (0.52%) on the power play versus the Capitals.  Rewind to last series and the Isles are 4/16 (25%) in four games against the Florida Panthers.  All told they are now 5/35 (14.2%) since entering the bubble.  Together the Panthers and Capitals are 8/30 (26.6%) on the power play.  Eight goals means the Isles are allowing an average of one PP goal per game.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mathew Barzal give the Islanders a commanding 2-0 lead before the game's first ten minutes elapse.  Three and a half minutes into the second Evgeny Kuznetsov gets Washington on the scoreboard.  At 3:46 Mathew Barzal gets whistled for holding; it's one of five PP opportunities this game afforded to the Caps.  One minute forty-three seconds later Alex Ovechkin ties the game at two.  Early in the third Ovechkin gives the Capitals a 3-2 lead and ultimate margin of victory.

Therefore, it bares repeating: stay out of the box or score more on the power play.

Otherwise, the Islanders continue handling the Capitals they way they've been all series.  They continue to win the face-off battle.  At center Mathew Barzal and Jean-Gabriel Pageau account for nine shots on goal, only this time Washington outshoots the Islanders by a 29-26 margin.  It's the Caps most shots on goal all series.  Moreover, it's the most shots on goal in one game by either Florida or Washington.  Previously the Panthers twice achieve 28 SOGs in a game.  Previously Washington's best effort comes in game two with 25 shots on goal.  In turn this marks the first time New York is held under 30 SOG's all series, and only the third time since entering the bubble.