3 major reasons the NY Rangers will keep building momentum in Round 1
The NY Rangers got the best of the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their First Round matchup, and that momentum can continue.
Wow, the NY Rangers Game 1 win over the Washington Capitals could not have gone any smoother sans the one goal they allowed. Overall, fans couldn’t have asked for a better performance from their Presidents’ Trophy-winning team, and it could foreshadow a quick series should the Rangers keep flooring the throttle.
While the final score plus goals from Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider weren’t surprising, it doesn’t mean their respective playoff performance after the first game are the main reasons for optimism. Sure, fans can rejoice that two of their team’s best scorers are carrying over their regular season success, but there is a trio of reasons why New York could just flat-out dominate this series.
The NY Rangers know they can click defensively
When you look at the final score sheet and notice the Rangers gave up just 21 shots on goal, that alone tells you how well this team played when they didn’t have puck possession. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin saved 20 of those shots on net, with 17 coming at even strength, and he, too, appears to be more than in playoff mode.
But perhaps Shesterkin played so well because those in front of him shut down stars like Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and T.J. Oshie. Per Natural Stat Trick, the trio combined for just one shot on net, while another notable player, Tom Wilson, recorded just two shots.
The Rangers know how to shut down Washington’s star players, and if it occurs in Game 2, expect a similar result. Things will be looking very good for the Rangers heading into Game 3 when the series shifts to the nation’s capital.
If you want more fun, New York collectively beat Washington for most of the game in the Corsi. While it sat at just 47.62 in the second frame for New York, the Blueshirts also dominated with a Corsi For Percentage at 5-on-5 of 86.67 in the first period and 56.76 in the third, indicating just how many chances their play gave them in the offensive zone.
New York may not always need to rely on top scorers
Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider both scored, but so did Jimmy Vesey and Matt Rempe. This tells us the Rangers don’t always need to rely on their best players to find the back of the net, at least as far as the First Round is trending. Instead, they can count on a few others not known for their scoring prowess.
Rempe is known more for his hard-nosed play than he is scoring, having logged just one goal in 17 regular season games to go with an eye-popping 71 penalty minutes. Vesey recorded just 26 points and 13 goals in 80 games this season, and he also displays a more physical side.
While we shouldn’t expect Rempe and Vesey to score in every game played in this series, it may be encouraging to some that if the Rangers need a hand from their lower-liners or more in-depth scorers, it’s there.
Further, players like Barclay Goodrow, Jack Roslovic, and Vesey also recorded assists. All of whom recorded bottom-six minutes and scored a total of 46 points in the regular season. If New York’s depth pieces keep this up, Washington will have to worry about four scoring lines, which is a scary thought.
Washington’s star players are officially under pressure
Nobody expected such a flat performance from the likes of Alex Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie, and Dylan Strome, among others. But when your team records just 21 shots on goal, there is plenty of blame for everyone who skated on Sunday.
It also trickled down to unprecedented star goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who allowed four goals on 31 shot attempts. While the Caps didn’t make his job easier, Lindgren’s stellar play when times were tough over the second half of the season was big for Washington. And if this team is flat offensively, there is nobody else in the lineup who needs to step up more.
There is a chance that the Capitals develop a greater sense of urgency in Game 2 and play like the team that beat out other hopefuls for the second wild card spot down the stretch. But if they have a tough time getting going again and the Rangers control the pacing, look for the Blueshirts to take that coveted two-game lead.
Overall, the Rangers played like a team in complete control on Sunday, and it should be a lot of fun to see how they parlay their epic outing into something even greater on Tuesday. They only need to keep up with their depth scoring, play well defensively, and prevent the Caps stars from getting hot.
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(Some statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and ESPN.com)