In a game that looked more like a September pre-season game than an April post-season elimination game, the Caps were finally able to get to Henrik Lundqvist.
Matt Bradley was able to score two goals in a strange first period. Both teams had little energy, and the period featured only nine shots, despite five power-plays. The strangest part? Lundqvist allowed two goals on just six first period Washington shots.
Bradley's first goal, coming short-handed, makes the Rangers a minus one with the man-advantage since their two power-play tallies in Game One. Make that zero power-play goals in Games Two through Five, and one short-handed marker allowed.
That's not going to cut it.
Bradley's next goal brought King Henrik firmly down to earth. With no screen and no options, Bradley tossed one on net from a bad angle that was able to beat a shocked Rangers' netminder, and bring the crowd at the Verizon Center to its feet.
In the second, Alexander Semin took the puck off a face-off and snapped it to the far upper corner to push the lead to three. Blair Betts and Nicklas Backstrom had tied up on the draw, and Betts accidently kicked the puck right onto the tape of Semin.
Later in the period, Ovechkin showed why he is a walking (skating?) highlight show waiting to happen. Taking a pass from Fedorov as he entered the Rangers' zone, he dodged a Chris Drury check, put the puck between the wickeds of Derek Morris, changed direction, lost the puck, re-gathered, and slid the puck between the legs of Lundqvist.
Steven Valiquette saw his first post-season action in the third period, giving the Blueshirts' tender a break.
One can only wonder why the Rangers were lacking in intensity. It was as if their most energetic and emotional spark-plug was missing...
Oh, yeah! Rangers' Coach John Tortarella decided to bench Sean Avery for the lack of discipline he displayed in the previous two games.
Avery plays on the first line. He brings energy. He's the straw that stirs the drink. The Rangers are 14-7-1 since he joined the team. If your John Tortarella, you need to take the good with the bad and move on. Benching a guy like Avery is more detrimental to the team than anything he could do on the ice.
Sticking on the path of his power trip, Tortarella also put the fourth line out for the remaining 42 seconds of a power-play...only down one goal...early in the first period.
Hey, coach, there's a place and a time for sending messages.
This wasn't it.
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