GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The New York Rangers will try for a repeat performance of the series opener when they host Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
The Rangers won 4-1 in Game 1 on Sunday, thanks to two goals from their fourth line, one from Matt Rempe and another from Jimmy Vesey; 20 saves from Igor Shesterkin, and a penalty kill that went 4-for-4 with three shots on goal against.
Forwards Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider also scored for New York.
"As long as we play the same way, play the way we know how we can play, I think we're pretty confident in here," Rangers center Vincent Trocheck said. "Put Game 1 out of our minds and focus on Game 2."
It didn't matter in Game 1 that the Rangers were 0-for-2 on the power play because they controlled the play at 5-on-5, scoring four goals and limiting the Capitals to one on 18 shots.
"We can hear what they're saying on the other side; they're looking for a better game, they're looking to get to the interior," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "So we're going to have to be ready to play. The start is going to have to be excellent."
Laviolette is right about the Capitals; they're not shy about talking about the need to be better in all areas to get the split at the Garden and go home for Game 3 on Friday with home-ice advantage in the series.
"Systematically, there's some small adjustments that I think will help us get a little bit more engaged," Washington forward T.J. Oshie said, "but when it comes down to it, it's just man-to-man, who's going to step up and who is going to kind of drive the bus for us. [In Game 1], we had a phenomenal effort out of Tom (forward Wilson) and the rest of us just weren't on his level. So tonight, we've got to get to there. We know he's going to be buzzing and we've got to follow his lead."
Teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 series are 348-55 (.864 winning percentage) in NHL history.
Here are 3 keys for Game 2:
1. Ovechkin needs his looks, shots
Alex Ovechkin did not have a shot on goal in Game 1. The Capitals captain had five shot attempts blocked and missed the net on two. Washington had four power-play opportunities, but Ovechkin managed four shot attempts, all from the outside, none on net, and none even close to dangerous.
Ovechkin scored 13 goals in the final 17 games of the regular season. Along with goalie Charlie Lindgren, he helped will the Capitals into the playoffs as the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.
But if they can't find him looks and if he can't get open and find ways to get the puck on net, Washington could struggle the same way it did in Game 1.
"Two probably separate conversations; one is the power play and then the 5-on-5," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "They're targeting. He's playing some hard minutes against Trocheck, Panarin and (forward Alexis) Lafreniere. That's the matchup that (Laviolette) is looking for, so those are tough minutes. You're playing against one of the top 5-on-5 lines in the National Hockey League. So we've got to do a job of finding ways to counterpunch that with them being able to play in the offensive zone and create some opportunities for themselves, which they can do a better job of."
2. Rangers pressure on PK
New York's penalty killers were particularly good in Game 1 at limiting Washington's ability to get clean zone entries and disrupting play at the top, just inside the blue line, by getting sticks in passing lanes to knock pucks away, out of the zone, and at times create short-handed odd man rushes the other way.
That's the kind of pressure the Rangers utilized during the regular season, when their penalty kill was ranked third in the NHL at 84.5 percent.
The Capitals clearly want their power play to operate by working the puck high to low and back high or to the middle to either set up Ovechkin in the left circle or Oshie in the bumper for one-timers. It might use center Hendrix Lapierre instead of Wilson on the first power-play unit to help with zone entries, which was identified as a big issue in Game 1.
But the pressure New York applied did not allow Washington to set up or do much on the power play. More of the same in Game 2 should lead to more of the same success, and potentially some short-handed scoring chances too.
"If you're listening to them, that's a point of emphasis now, so this is a time to really sharpen things," Laviolette said. "Sharpen the penalty kill, sharpen the power play, sharpen 5-on-5; not to take a breath."
3. Patience before pouncing
The Capitals will again try to keep the game tight and scoring chances low by mucking up the middle of the ice in Game 2. They did that in the first period of Game 1, at least in the 10 minutes were played at even strength, but the Rangers were smart and stayed patient.
That patience paid off in the second period, when Rempe scored at 4:17 and Panarin and Vesey then scored 2:06 apart to give New York a 3-0 lead.
Patience will again be required from the Rangers in Game 2. The Capitals thrive in low-event games, so limiting risk gives New York a better chance for eventual reward.
"If we can settle in and play with our pace and speed and play our game, when that time comes we'll look to take over," Rangers forward Jack Roslovic said.
Capitals projected lineup
Alex Ovechkin -- Connor McMichael -- T.J. Oshie
Aliaksei Protas -- Dylan Strome -- Tom Wilson
Max Pacioretty -- Hendrix Lapierre -- Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary -- John Carlson
Lucas Johansen -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
Alexander Alexeyev -- Dylan McIlrath
Charlie Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
Scratched: Michael Sgarbossa, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Hardy Haman Aktell
Injured: Rasmus Sandin (upper body), Nick Jensen (upper body), Vincent Iorio (upper body)
Rangers projected lineup
Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Jack Roslovic
Artemi Panarin -- Vincent Trocheck -- Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle -- Alex Wennberg -- Kaapo Kakko
Jimmy Vesey -- Barclay Goodrow -- Matt Rempe
Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox
K'Andre Miller -- Braden Schneider
Erik Gustafsson -- Jacob Trouba
Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick
Scratched: Zac Jones, Jonny Brodzinski, Chad Ruhwedel, Filip Chytil, Louis Domingue, Adam Edstrom
Injured: Blake Wheeler (lower body)
Status report
Johansen will make his NHL playoff debut, replacing Iorio, a defenseman injured in the second period of a 4-1 loss in Game 1. ... Iorio joined the Capitals morning skate late in a non-contact jersey Tuesday, but will not play. … Jensen and Sandin, each a defenseman, skated Tuesday in a non-contact jersey; neither is ready to return after missing Game 1. ... Washington recalled Haman Aktell, a defenseman, from Hershey of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. ... The Rangers will dress the same lineup they used in Game 1.
NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti contributed to this report
