The Rangers eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins in their first-round playoff series, winning four games by a 2-1 score. On Thursday, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, it was the Washington Capitals who defeated the Rangers, 2-1, at Madison Square Garden.
Alexander Ovechkin scored a power-play goal late in the first period and then set up Joel Ward’s buzzer-beater with 1.3 seconds remaining.
Ovechkin registered a game-high six shots — not including a shot off the crossbar in the second period. Late in regulation, with the clock bleeding down and overtime a near certainty, Ovechkin circled the net and centered the puck to Ward, who was wide open at the side of the Rangers’ net.