Going into tonight’s game, the New York Rangers carried a 6-0 game seven record. Before the game even started, you could feel the energy within Madison Square Garden. The crowd was loud, Baba O’Riley was playing in the background, and you could tell that both teams were there to take part in one of the most intense game sevens in recent playoff history. The first period started with the Washington Capitals putting on all of the pressure early and often. And then at the 12:50 mark, Alex Ovechkin found room in the slot and elevated a great shot past the left shoulder of Henrik Lundqvist. The second half of the period played out much like the first with the Capitals playing solid defense, and behind the big-hitting leadership of their captain, applied solid pressure throughout the period.
The second period shifted almost immediately in the opposite direction, with the Rangers coming out strong and fast. They had Washington on their heels often and early, but Washington was still applying some of the pressure they had during the first. Then at the 6:22 mark of the second period, much like Ovechkin, Kevin Hayes found room on the backdoor and slid a beauty past Holtby to tie the game. The period ended with both teams applying a decent amount of pressure, but neither wanting to give up the lead going into the third period.
The third period was about as great of a period of hockey that you could ask for. The Capitals continued to apply offensive pressure while bailing out their defense and Holtby, while Girardi, Lundquist and the Rangers defense looked more like the Rangers offense as Derick Brassard was by far the most consistent player of the game for the Rangers. The Capitals applied all of the hitting during the third period, especially when Brooks Orpik put a vicious hit on Dan Boyle. While some say it could have been a hit to the head, it gave Washington the physical threat it needed in the third. Nothing would prove to be good enough for either team in regulation, as we needed overtime to settle this game seven classic.
Overtime was all Washington early, as the Ranger’s defense looked like it was going to give up an early goal against a hot Capitals team. Washington was able to establish their forecheck early, and cycled the puck greater than I have seen them do before. It was obvious that the game-winning goal was going to come quick, and from hard work down low. This is exactly what happened as New York established good pressure in the offensive zone setting up an offensive zone faceoff, leading to a Derek Stepan game-winner at the 11:24 mark of the overtime period. New York will move on to face Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Finals.
