WASHINGTON — The light behind Henrik Lundqvist flashed red, the same color as the wardrobe of all those fans screaming and stomping their feet, and the same color as the jerseys of all those Washington Capitals reveling along the boards.
The celebration meandered toward the visitors’ bench, where, with almost the full third period left to play, some Rangers bowed their heads and still others stared straight ahead. They had barged into the playoffs as the league’s best team, among its highest-scoring and perhaps its most balanced. Then came this series, against a team that streaks around the ice like fire ants, a nuisance in every sense.