Game 2 is at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, ESPN, MSG, SNW, SNO, SNE, TVAS).
If the Rangers' 5-on-5 game is anything like it was in Game 1, a 2-0 lead in the series might be inevitable, especially if they dominate on the penalty kill like they also did Sunday, when Alex Ovechkin had no shots on goal and only four attempts on four power-play opportunities.
"I mean, we've been talking about it the whole year," defenseman Erik Gustafsson of the 5-on-5 play. "Obviously, we wanted to throw some more pucks at net, get more bodies in front of their goalie. I thought we did a great job of that. Our power play didn't work as well, like it has been, and we stepped up at 5-on-5 and did a [heck] of a job with it. Just have to go out and do the same thing [Tuesday]."
Perhaps most important in Game 1 is the Rangers didn't feed the Capitals opportunities off turnovers by trying to push for too much at 5-on-5.
That will be a recipe for success against a team that was 29th in the NHL in 5-on-5 goals (143).
"When we're late in a game or we're going into a third period and we don't have the lead," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said, "yet we talk about having the whole 20 minutes to execute, not to get outside of ourselves, not to push beyond boundaries of stuff that's going to leave us vulnerable the other way. I do think there's got to be some sort of, not restraint, but just not trying to outdo yourself where it ends up hurting you and coming back at you the other way."
When the Rangers found open ice, like they did in the second period, they pounced on their opportunities, starting with Matt Rempe's goal at 4:17 followed by Artemi Panarin's at 4:50 and Jimmy Vesey's at 6:23.
The Rangers are capable of more quick-strike offense if they don't allow the Capitals to lull them into a muddy, middle of the ice game.
"The feel in the game in the first period was kind of there wasn't a puck, everybody was just setting a tone, setting the way the series was going to go," forward Jack Roslovic said. "In the second period it opened up, more plays being made, a little more settling in. If we can settle in and play with our pace and speed, play our game, when the time comes, we'll look to take over."
The Capitals also generated their best looks in the second, when Martin Fehervary scored a goal off his skates to make it 3-1 at 7:31, but the Rangers seem OK with giving up a little if it means creating a higher event type of game as long as it's in control.
Washington's 5-on-5 goal differential in the regular season was minus-32 (175 against, 143 for), but it's comfortable in games that are close, low event and low scoring. The Capitals went 5-0-6 in games decided by a 3-2 score and 6-2-0 in 2-1 games. They were 20-2-11 in all games decided by one goal.
"We played a good game," Roslovic said. "You always want to play perfect. It's not always going to be perfect, but it's good to set the tone early, especially at home."
