The New York Rangers had a successful regular season, setting a franchise record with 55 wins and 114 points. Despite their overall strong performance, their offensive production at full-strength five-on-five was a weakness, ranking 21st in the NHL in expected goals percentage. However, they were able to score 166 goals in five-on-five, the 13th most in the league, and had a one-goal differential. In high-danger shots, they ranked 25th with 153 shots.
In Game 1 of the playoffs against the Washington Capitals, the Rangers showed promise by scoring all four of their goals in five-on-five situations, despite their usual reliance on power-play scoring. The team was unsuccessful on the power play during the game, highlighting the importance of their even-strength performance. Center Alexander Wennberg emphasized the significance of the team’s success at five-on-five and credited it as a key to their victory.
The Rangers had a notable defensive performance in Game 1, successfully killing off all four of Washington’s power plays. Wennberg praised the team’s penalty kill, emphasizing the importance of being aggressive and committed to their plan. The penalty kill was put to an early test when Matt Rempe was sent off for charging just over two minutes into the game. Despite the challenge, the Rangers set the tone for the game with a successful kill.
Rangers’ coach Peter Laviolette commended his team’s penalty kill against the Capitals, recognizing the difficulty of facing a power-play unit that included top players like Alex Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie, and Connor McMichael. Laviolette stressed the need for the team to focus on improving their special teams and overall performance at this crucial stage of the playoffs. On the other side, Washington coach Spencer Carbery expressed disappointment in his team’s struggling power play and acknowledged the need to improve their offensive opportunities.
In Game 1, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was held without a shot on goal for only the fourth time in his playoff career. Carbery attributed this to the tough matchup Ovechkin faced against the Rangers’ top offensive line. He emphasized the importance of creating opportunities and countering the Rangers’ strong five-on-five play. The Capitals faced injury concerns with Vincent Iorio and other defensemen sidelined, leading to increased ice time for players like John Carlson.
Washington coach Carbery expressed the need for improvements ahead of Game 2 against the Rangers, particularly in their power-play performance and offensive execution. The team aimed to counter the Rangers’ strength in five-on-five situations and generate scoring opportunities. With injured players like Iorio, Nick Jensen, and Rasmus Sandin, the Capitals focused on evaluating their lineup before the next game to address their defensive challenges.
