New York Rangers

Explosive Decompression: Rangers beat Caps 3-2 (OT)

On May 7, 2012, In Game Recap, Playoffs, By Peter Hassett

This guy. (Photo credit: Bruce Bennett)

The Washington Capitals went back to the dimly lit den of sin called Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Against the New York Rangers, with whom they were tied 2-2 in the series, the Caps struggled to muster the offense that had characterized their last couple games, but they did have a little traction on the power play. Unfortunately for them, however, the Rangers had more.

Anton Stralman got a softy on Braden Holtby in a dominant first period for the Rangers. The tide turned in the second period, and Brooks Laich evened it up with a sneaky snap after an offensive-zone faceoff.

John Carlson earned the lead with a barrage of slap shots on a third-period power play. But in the final 20 seconds of the game, Joel Ward’s high-sticking penalty gave Brad Richards the tying goal. With 7 freaking seconds left.

So we went to overtime once more, but it didn’t last long. Marc Staal ended it on the power play. Rangers beat Caps 3-2 (OT).

New York and the Rangers: Rotten Apple

On May 6, 2012, In Playoffs, Pregame, By Doug Johnson

Photo credit: Movie Vault

Editor’s note: The playoff series gives Caps fans a chance to learn all about our stupid rivals and the exotic (i.e., terrible) places they come from. For the second of their Stanley Cup travelogue series, the PuckBuddys offer “How To Spot A Rangers Fan” and helpfully explain why a trip to Manhattan is only slightly worse than a colonoscopy. Follow @PuckBuddys.

Sometimes literary fiction can teach us something great and truthy. I’m thinking here about timeless classics like “Escape from New York,” “The Stand”, or “I Am Legend” (Will Smith version, duh). In these worlds, Manhattan’s streets are littered with drooling ghouls, shuffling corpses and brainless zombies, with a few rapists tossed in for good measure. The entire island is alternately either a prison or a graveyard, both equally wretched, and always there’s one or two smart people trying desperately to flee, usually to Washington.

Tagged with: New York Rangers • Puck Buddys

Caps beat Rangers 3-2, Is Alex Ovechkin Headed for Suspension?

On May 5, 2012, In Game Recap, Playoffs, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Mitchell Layton

After the grueling march of disappointment that was Game Three, we expected a rallying effort from the Caps. But we weren’t naive enough to expect a different kind of game. We know by now that the Capitals are capable of playing only one-goal games. What we didn’t know is that they could get goals out of Alex Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and Mike Green in the same game. It was like 2009 up in here.

Here’s how it went: After a battle in the corner, Alex Ovechkin ripped a one-timer that beat Lundqvist’s glove for the game’s first goal.

Artem Anisimov tied it up early in the second by beating Braden Holtby, who was left helpless when Brooks Laich and Alex Ovechkin couldn’t block a weirdly bouncing pass. Nick Backstrom reasserted the lead by tenderizing Artem Anisimov and then putting Chimera’s pass in the net. Artem Anisimov won an icing race against Jeff Schultz and set up Marian Gaborik for another tying goal through Holtby’s five-hole.

Mike Green put the Caps up with a powerplay goal late in the third. It was the game-winner. Caps beat Rangers 3-2.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Artem Anisimov • Chris Kreider • Dennis Wideman • Henrik Lundqvist • Jeff Schultz • Mike Knuble • New York Rangers • Stu Bickel • Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin Scores in Game Four, The Belly Pat Returns

On May 5, 2012, In GIF, Photos, Playoffs, Video, By Ian Oland

Photo credit: Greg Fiume

After losing in triple overtime in Game Three, Game Four was a must-win for the Washington Capitals.

Luckily, for Caps fans, Alex Ovechkin brought his sniper stick today.

In his first shift after the Verizon Center crowd erupted in their “Ovi! Ovi!” chant at the 8-minute mark, Ovechkin capitalized on a brutal Chris Kreider turnover in the Rangers’ zone. As Kreider attempted a no-look pass to the center of the ice (a no-no in every professional hockey league except for the KHL) the puck went right to Ovechkin instead, who one-timed the puck past Henrik Lundqvist’s glove.

Video is below the jump.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Chris Kreider • Henrik Lundqvist • New York Rangers • Washington Capitals

Video: George McPhee Freaks Out During Triple Overtime

On May 5, 2012, In Playoffs, Video, By Ian Oland

16 years ago when I was in middle school, I suffered through the second longest Capitals game in franchise history. The Caps were playing the Penguins in the 1996 playoffs and boy did I hate the Pens. Of course, you know the story. Petr Nedved ended the game in quadruple overtime with a harmless wrist shot from the sideboards past Olie Kolzig. The game ended around 2 AM and I cried all night. The next day, depressed and without any sleep, I failed both an English and a math quiz.

Well, apparently I’m not the only one that overtime playoff hockey does this to.

On Wednesday night, Hockey Night in Canada showed a montage at the end of the game showing Caps General Manger George McPhee freaking out during sudden death overtime. The normally poker-faced McPhee looks like the most uncomfortable man in the arena, standing up, sitting down, twisting and turning with the action as if he could steer the players. As the CBC announcer so beautifully states: “The pressure on McPhee: you can just see it in his face.”

Check out the video below the jump. Trust us, it’s worth a look.

Tagged with: Freaking Out • George McPhee • New York Rangers • Triple Overtime • Washington Capitals

The Marathon: Rangers beat Caps 2-1 (3OT)

On May 3, 2012, In Game Recap, Playoffs, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Mitchell Layton

The Washington Capitals returned home with hopes of gaining a series lead over the New York Rangers. Fans got involved with some rousing “O! V!” cheers, the Caps got their offense moving, and the ice was as soupy as you’d expect in the D.C. spring. But this game was unlike any others. It was a thing of History. Capitals history. And you can probably guess from that alone how it turned out.

After a scoreless first, Ryan Callahan converted a power play by tapping in a puck served up for him after bouncing off of Matt Hendricks. John Carlson tied it up with a dangle-icious wrister that went top shelf.

The third period was tense, but offered no resolution to the game. And so we went to overtime.

Alex Ovechkin rang the post on a huge breakaway– leading to some goal lights and a bit of premature celebration, but it was waved off. And thus we needed double secret overtime.

Brian Boyle blocked Mike Rupp’s sure-thing game-winner, and thus we needed triple overtime.

In trip OT, Jeff Schultz made the block of his life using his pants. Yeah, his pants. That’s how weird stuff got.

But then Marian Gaborik coordinated with Brad Richards to finally end it with some behind-the-goal-line action.

Rangers beat Caps 2-1 (3OT).

Tagged with: Dennis Wideman • John Carlson • Marcus Johansson • Matt Hendricks • New York Rangers • Washington Capitals

The Horn Guy Needs Your Help for the “O! V!” Cheer Tonight

On May 2, 2012, In Playoffs, By Ian Oland

Photo credit: Chris Gordon

You watched games one and two. You know New York Rangers fans taunted Alex Ovechkin. You know Ovi had some trouble hearing them after scoring the game-winning goal on Monday.

Here’s how it works: The Madison Square Garden crowd counts down to the 8-minute mark of each period and then chants “Ovi Sucks!” Here’s it in action:

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Chants • Daniel Alfredsson • New York Rangers • The Horn Guy

Reviewing Jason Chimera’s Behind-the-Net Goal

On May 1, 2012, In Photos, Playoffs, By Ana Hansen

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

This year has been something of a breakout for Jason Chimera, with the speedy winger hitting a career-high 20 goals and becoming a key piece of the Capitals’ depth. You didn’t have to tell Henrik Lundqvist he could score — Chimera now has goals in three consecutive postseason games against the Rangers, going back to the last game of the Caps/Rangers series in 2011, and has become something of a personal nightmare for the All-Star goalie.

You can’t expect the goals to come easy against a netminder of that caliber though, and Chimera’s tally in the Caps’ 3-2 win on Monday was anything but. Following a crazypants individual effort from Matt Hendricks and an equally crazy almost-save from Lundqvist, Chimera finished off the team’s efforts to tap the goal in. We take a closer look below.

Tagged with: Braden Holtby • Chris Kreider • Henrik Lundqvist • Jason Chimera • New York Rangers • Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin to Rangers Fans: “I Can’t Hear You!”

On April 30, 2012, In GIF, Playoffs, Video, By Ana Hansen

Photo via @ngreenberg

When the Caps met the Rangers in the playoffs last year, the fans got into the action. At Game Four, Madison Square Garden chanted “Can You Hear Us?” At Game Five, Verizon Center responded with “We Are Louder.” This year, the Rangers faithful have come up with a somewhat more sophisticated chant, and they seem quite pleased with themselves: they count down the seconds to the 8:00 mark and then shout Ovi Sucks in unison.

They appear to have picked this up from their first round opponents, the Ottawa Senators, who had been in the habit of counting down to 11:00 to support their captain Daniel Alfredsson — so really, it’s not just a highly complicated chant, it’s also a highly complicated knockoff. We’re almost insulted.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • New York Rangers • Washington Capitals

RESULTS: Caps beat Rangers 3-2

On April 30, 2012, In Game Recap, Playoffs, By Peter Hassett

Photo credit: Bruce Bennett

Game One of the conference semifinals was a bore. Also: a loss. But the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers brought a lot more oomph to Game Two. It was a hard-hitting, higher shooting, kind-of-awesome affair. And despite any controversies we may drudge up here or complaints we may file, the only thing that matters right now are results.

At 12:20 of the 2nd game of the 2nd series, player number 22 crashed the net. Yep, Mike Knuble got the game’s first goal capping off some good movement from Joel Ward and Keith Aucoin. Then… well it’s hard to explain, but we’ll try: the puck rolled over Carlson’s stick, setting up Kreider for a breakaway that Holtby defused. Beagle moved the puck up to Chimera, who dumped it to Matt Hendricks, who scored a no-look goal*. (Phew!)

Brad Richards scored a 4-on-4 goal as neither Brouwer or Wideman could catch him in transition, and the second period went scoreless.

The Rangers tied it up with a powerplay goal off Carlson’s back halfway through the third period. Carlson reversed that by drawing an interference penalty from Richards, which Alex Ovechkin instantly transmogrified into the game-winning goal. Caps beat Rags 3-2.

Tagged with: Alex Ovechkin • Mike Knuble • New York Rangers • Washington Capitals

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Russian Machine Never Breaks

Explosive Decompression: Rangers beat Caps 3-2 (OT)

New York and the Rangers: Rotten Apple

Caps beat Rangers 3-2, Is Alex Ovechkin Headed for Suspension?

Alex Ovechkin Scores in Game Four, The Belly Pat Returns

Video: George McPhee Freaks Out During Triple Overtime

The Marathon: Rangers beat Caps 2-1 (3OT)

The Horn Guy Needs Your Help for the “O! V!” Cheer Tonight

Reviewing Jason Chimera’s Behind-the-Net Goal

Alex Ovechkin to Rangers Fans: “I Can’t Hear You!”

RESULTS: Caps beat Rangers 3-2

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