So that happened.
As far as moments I’ve experienced in person at MSG, this one was the most like a fever dream. I had to make sure my beer was actually a beer and not a bottle of benadryl. By the time I picked my jaw up off the floor, Trocheck found Panarin all alone at the top of the circle, which led to one of the coolest goal celebrations I’ve ever seen.
Just like that it’s 2-0, both goals coming within about 30 seconds of each other. Panarin almost decapitated Trocheck as a thank you for his great pass. Vincent Iorio of the Caps was unfortunately injured on the play as a result of the Lafrenière hit. The Garden celebrated, and then exhaled… Oh, look, the fourth line is back on the ice.
Jimmy Vesey is obligated to donate his body to science. We need to better understand how the clutch gene works.
Vesey’s goal once again sparked pandemonium among the Rangers faithful, about a minute and a half since they last sang the goal song. I’d like to make this about me for a moment and let you know all three of these goals were scored while I was eating my prime rib sandwich, and I managed to finish that sandwich without spilling the au jus cup once. I’m convinced that’s grounds for me being one of the three stars of the game.
Martin Fehervary (I feel like we’re probably all mispronouncing his last name) got the Capitals in the goal column about a minute after the Rangers’ third straight, spoiling Igor Shesterkin’s shutout bid in the process.
As the period came to a close, the Rangers up 3-1, Trevor van Riemsdyk found himself in the wrong neighborhood. Most of his team had went down the tunnel, and he decided to stir it up in a sea of blue jerseys. Tom Wilson came flying back out of the tunnel like he was John Cena and his music just hit, and a scrum ensued at center ice with the Capitals heavily outmanned. It was squashed by the referees, and everyone was sent back to their rooms.
The Capitals failed to capitalize (had to do it) on an early third period power play, and the Rangers piled the shots on Charlie Lindgren until the levee broke one final time, when Chris Kreider was sprung on a breakaway that he put the exclamation point on with a backhand move to beat Lindgren to the post. With just over 3 minutes to go, the Capitals no longer had a real reason to pull the goalie. Bad beat if you took the over 5.5.
The Capitals stirred it up at the end of the game, sending a message that they’re not going to go away quietly, and Tom Wilson, Dylan McIlrath, and Braden Schneider were ejected for the final minute of the game. Alex Ovechkin was held to zero shots on goal.
McIlrath could be a player to keep an eye on. A former first round pick of the Rangers that didn’t pan out for us, he spent most of the year in Hershey with the AHL Bears squad. Injuries to defensemen Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin opened the door to some playoff action with the big squad, and he spent a good amount of his ice time trying to mix it up with Matt Rempe. I’m assuming they’re quite familiar with each other from their time in the minors.
Rempe’s goal to kick off the 2024 playoff campaign will forever be a favorite piece of Rangers lore for me, and if he wasn’t a folk hero in the city yet, well, he sure as shit is now. The Rangers fourth line comprised all three of the stars of the game, with Vesey’s goal and assist earning him first star honors.
The Rangers have a chance Tuesday to bring a commanding 2-0 series lead down to the nation’s capital, where an injury depleted Caps team will await them. Game 1 went just about how you would draw it up if you’re Rangers coach Peter Laviolette, sans the lack of power play conversions, and if the Rangers carry on this way they could be the first team to punch their tickets to round two this postseason.
The Rangers are back in action on home ice tomorrow at 7:00 PM. One down, Fifteen to go. Let’s go Rangers.
The Morning Skate 