The New York Rangers swept the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs, following a strong regular season, with Artemi Panarin scoring a crucial goal and Igor Shesterkin making 23 saves in the final game.
Getty Images. It’s all about the game, right?
After a heart-wrenching first-round exit from the 2023 postseason, the New York Rangers were not messing around this time. They came back with a vengeance in the playoffs’ first round. And boy, did they make a statement.
The Rangers swept the Capitals, clinching a 4-2 victory Sunday night in Washington. It was something to see. Artemi Panarin’s power play early in the third period? Broke a 2-2 tie, putting the Rangers ahead for good. Meanwhile, Igor Shesterkin was a wall, making 23 saves.
New York didn’t just win; they dominated. Capturing the Presidents’ Trophy with the best regular-season record at 55-23-4 (114 points), they just edged out the Dallas Stars. Talk about a comeback.
And Ovechkin? The Washington Capitals star might as well have been a ghost. No shots on goal for the second time this series. No points in the sweep. It’s like he wasn’t even there.
As a team, the Rangers outscored the Capitals 15-7 in the series. Next up? They’ll face the winner of the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders. Those two are still duking it out, with the Islanders in a 3-1 hole after their 3-2 overtime victory on Saturday. Game 5 is Tuesday night at Carolina. It’s gonna be intense.
Here’s how it went down:
– Game 1: Rangers 4, Capitals 1. A solid start.
– Game 2: Rangers 4, Capitals 3. They kept the momentum.
– Game 3: Rangers 3, Capitals 1. Starting to see a pattern here?
– Game 4: Rangers 4, Capitals 2. And that’s a wrap.
The Rangers are on fire, and the playoffs are just heating up. Can’t wait to see what’s next.
