fletch

Love the Igor chants in DC. Caps fans awfully quiet.

Just 3 or 4 minutes of solid hockey then the Rangers are half assing things again, Let’s get the handshakes and focus on being better next round.

Living on the power play. simple hockey plays the rest of the third and close it out.

I mean the Rangers need to start working and then they can really chill until the next opponent is determined. Wouldn’t take much to end this series

Tom Wilson: still an asshole

Lots for Caps and their fans to be miserable about… which is awesome. Get some rest until Game 4.

refs are bored without whistling

Igor must be pretty unimpressed with what the Caps are doing, five on five, pp, pk, whatever.Doesn’t matter with their ineffective play and frustration level.

Love it when our power play makes them pay.

Wilson wants to cry over an injured teammate. Good. Rempe made a hockey play. Wilson has done all kind of sketchy bullshit stuff over the years that injured players that had nothing to do with playing the game.

The fans booing Panarin when he touches the puck is pretty funny, Oshie even said it was a clean hit when they interviewed him on TNT

Soft from Igor, relief to tie it right back.

Would have been easier to clear the puck a few more times in the last couple minutes, but up 2-0 against a less talented team.

Panarin getting retribution on Oshie for the high stick. Clean through the body.

Best way to get Caps to stop gooning is to keep making them pay from our power play.

Easing into the second, time to reengage

Good push from Caps to start the first and better response from the Rangers to tilt the ice in their favor for most of the period. Caps has a hard time getting any chances after first 5 minutes

1. It's a best of seven series. 2. Rangers focus and play will largely determine whether this is a short series (like it should be) or if it gets extended. 3. Low scoring/low event games keep the games closer and bring puck luck more into play. In low event games if the Caps score first they can try and hold onto the lead. Scoring first helps the Rangers play the game they want to play.

Had to watch on delay (unfortunately)... couldn't be more pleased with game 1.

No excuses. If the Rangers play to their capabilities it doesn't matter what the Caps do, the Rangers will win. The only way this becomes a series is if the Rangers coast and don't work.

congratulations @Morphinity 2.0 and @Keirik Time to start training for next season, since my team wasn't able to finish strong.

The Rangers are favored against the Capitals (rightly) just like any other possible matchup they could have gotten. Full-stop. For a fan, I understand that playing Detroit would be different and novel. Watching the last few games, I thought the Islanders, Red Wings and the Penguins would be the toughest possible matchups with how they are playing. The Red Wings should have lost both games against Montreal, but through will, skill and luck, managed to pull things out - they're got some young players that are continually getting better and don't know their ceiling yet and would be unknown how they would do in a playoff series- so there's reason for optimism in Detroit. We know what we're getting with Washington, so there shouldn't be any surprises - the coaching staff should be able to put the players in situations where they can execute and have opportunities to be successful.

The benchmark is Ron Hextall for goalies clearing out their crease, Hextall had a real nasty streak. https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/records/nhl-goalies-all-time-penalty-minutes-leaders.html

The Rangers should be favored to win in 5 or 6 games no matter who their opponent is in the first round, and should advance if they play to their capabilities. Full-stop. Whoever gets the final playoff spot in the East earned it by playing great hockey down the stretch. I assumed that the Rangers would take care of business against Ottawa on Monday and watched the Penguins, Red Wings, and Islanders (yes, I cheated on the Rangers and admitted it). The Red Wings have had 13 third period comeback wins and came back and won against Montreal in a game they were down big - they are like watching the Coyotes when Arizona knows they have to put up 5+ goals to win some nights. Penguins are probably playing their best hockey down the stretch, and certainly don't look like the old, slow team we last faced. I haven't seen too much of Washington but they seem to have found hot goaltending and defensive structure to limit chances. So the Rangers won't be able to just show up to the arena and win.