Rangers Sweep Capitals with 4-2 Win in Game 4, Round 2 Awaits – Hockey Writers – New York Rangers
There will be no shock of the President's Trophy winning club's early exit from the 2024 Playoffs. The New York Rangers made quick work of the Washington Capitals, defeating them 4-2 on Sunday night in Game 4, sweeping the first-round series in the process. The Rangers await the winner of the New York Islanders-Carolina Hurricanes series, while the Capitals are left wondering what could have been.
Rangers jump early, stay on track
It is often said that the fourth game is the most difficult to win. While that may be true in some cases, on Sunday night the Capitals made it easy for the visiting Rangers by coughing up a goal less than a minute into the contest, and Kaapo Kakko did well with the opportunity. To its credit, Washington would not go down that easily. Martin Fehervary tied the scores with a wrist shot in the first half and, after New York took a 2-1 lead, Hendrix Lapierre scored on a man-of-the-match effort in the second period by evading the Rangers and cashing in on a rebound of his own. .
Related: Rempe, Rangers Physically Frustrate Capitals in First Round Series
Perhaps fittingly, the game and series-winning goal would come from Hart Trophy hopeful Artemi Panarin early in the final period on the power play. Despite the fact that New York's most notable offensive weapon scored the most important goal, it was the club's power play marker in the series. They finished 5-for-16 through four contests and scored two shorthanded goals (Games 2 and 3). As if the hockey gods wanted to emphasize how much special teams favored the Rangers in this sweep, Washington got a penalty kick with less than three minutes left and its entire season on the line.
Peter Laviolette's team can now lick their wounds and enjoy watching their Eastern Conference rivals battle each other for a few days before Round 2 begins.
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