Capitals Take Two-Game Lead After Neuvirth Shuts Out the Rangers

After two games in their best-of-seven series against the Rangers, the Capitals lead two games to none. Michal Neuvirth was strong when needed once again, making 22 saves to earn his first postseason shutout in just his second career playoff game. Jason Arnott and Jason Chimera provided the offense as the Capitals won 2-0.

"They just want to win," said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau after the game. "The important thing is that they get success. We’ve got a lot of guys who’ve won a lot of awards and that doesn’t mean anything to them now.”

The Caps knew that the Rangers would come out strong after losing game one in overtime, but they were able to weather the storm. The Rangers had four shots on goal before the Capitals registered one, but they didn't generate too many solid scoring chances.

In fact, the best scoring chance in the first period came off the stick of Mike Knuble. Brooks Laich carried the puck into the Rangers' zone on a shorthanded break with Knuble. Laich laid out a pass to Knuble, but he whiffed on the shot and missed a wide open net.

The first period once again ended scoreless.

It was the first few minutes of the second period that ultimately decided the game. Chimera netted the eventual game-winner just over two minutes into the period. Laich held off a New York defender behind the net and passed the puck to Marcus Johansson with only one hand on his stick. Johansson found Chimera in front of the net for the forward's second career playoff goal.

The goal gave the Caps momentum as they began to pepper the Rangers' goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with shots and drew a penalty shortly after. On the ensuing power play, Mike Green fired a shot which was blocked. The puck bounced across the ice to a wide open Jason Arnott who fired it into the back of the net before Lundqvist could get to his side. The two goals were scored in a span of 1:57.

"We had some turnovers. It caused the momentum change right away in the second period," said New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella. "For about five or six minutes there, they surged on us. They scored a goal, we take a penalty, get an unfortunate bounce and that’s a big part of the game.”

The Rangers wouldn't get a shot on net until midway through the period and only managed three in the entire middle frame.

The Capitals stepped off the gas in the third and played a conservative style, looking to capitalize on the Rangers' defensemen pinching. Alex Ovechkin did just that and found himself in alone on Lundqvist after a great pass off the boards from Karl Alzner. Ovechkin skated across the front of the net, waiting for Lundqvist to go down. He did, but Ovechkin didn't get the puck high enough to get it by the New York goaltender.

The Rangers tried to get under the skin of the Capitals later in the game. Sean Avery started multiple scrums before and after plays. He even annoyed Caps fans, who started "Avery sucks!" chants throughout the period.

While the Rangers controlled the puck for the majority of the final frame they only managed to get six shots on Neuvirth. The Capitals had three in the final 20 minutes.

“I think we were a little lackadaisical in the third," said veteran center Arnott. "We were panicking a little bit. That’s normal with young guys, but we have to do a better job if we’re getting the lead going into the third. We have to keep forechecking, keep shooting pucks. They took it to us in the third. Out of all the positives, you have to look at the negatives.”

Game three of the series is Sunday afternoon in New York.

Additional Notes

- While the Capitals are happy to be up two games to none, they know the Rangers can come back in a hurry. The last time these two teams met in the postseason, the Rangers won the first two games in DC before the Capitals came back and won the series in seven games. For the Capitals, the last time they were up two games to none was against the Penguins in the 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Penguins won the series in seven games. The Capitals also won the first two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round of the 2003 playoffs before losing the next four games and the series.

- Jason Chimera led the team in shots on goal with five. The next closest only had two (Ovechkin and Knuble).

- Karl Alzner tied Nicklas Backstrom and John Erskine for the team lead in blocked shots with three. In each his three career NHL playoff games Alzner has led the team in blocked shots or been tied for the lead.