Capitals 2, Rangers 1
WASHINGTON -- On Tuesday morning, when he was asked about 20-year-old rookie left winger Andre Burakovsky, Washington Capitals coach Barry Trotz quipped, "He doesn't have the man strength yet. He's still got that boy strength."
In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday night, Burakovsky summoned all of that strength, scoring his first two career playoff goals in a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers.
Burakovsky tied the score in the second period and netted the game-winner just 24 seconds into the third period on a breakaway.
Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby did the rest, allowing just one goal on 29 shots to earn his sixth victory of the playoffs and give the Capitals a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
Game 5 will be played Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
While Burakovsky's individual exploits made him the star of the game, the game's most pivotal moment came with just under 12 minutes remaining in regulation when Holtby stoned Rangers left winger Carl Hagelin on a penalty shot.
Hagelin was awarded the shot after Washington defenseman Mike Green hooked him from behind and took away a scoring chance on a clean breakaway.
With a chance to tie the game, Hagelin weaved in on Holtby and went forehand to backhand. But Holtby stayed with him and snatched Hagelin's backhander with his catching glove.
The Rangers have made a habit of scoring first in the playoffs and they did it for the sixth time in nine playoff games when center Derick Brassard finished off a perfectly timed feed from right winger Martin St. Louis to score his team-high fifth goal of the playoffs with 6:12 gone in the second period.
With the Rangers on an odd-man rush, Brassard got a step in front of Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner, took St. Louis' pass and beat Holtby high over his left shoulder at the 6:07 mark.
New York's goal was its first in five periods against Holtby, who saw his shutout streak end at 100 minutes, 5 seconds.
The Rangers entered the game with a 4-1 playoff record when scoring first and it appeared they might carry that one-goal lead into the second intermission.
Burakovsky had other ideas.
With 3:31 remaining in the second period the 20-year-old Swede found space in the high slot and despite right winger Troy Brouwer being open on his left, Burakovsky elected to shoot and beat Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with a tracer over his right shoulder. It was Burakovsky's first career playoff goal and it came on his third shot of the game and 11th of the playoffs.
On his first shift of the third period, Burakovsky struck again. This time, Brouwer blocked a shot by New York defenseman Ryan McDonagh at the Rangers' offensive blue line, allowing Burakovsky to beak in alone on Lundqvist. Burakovsky shielded the back-checking McDonagh and beat Lundqvist past his glove with a backhander.
NOTES: Late in the first period, Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist took a hard shot in the neck from Capitals C Brooks Laich and appeared to be in pain as play continued. Lundqvist missed seven weeks with a damaged blood vessel in his neck after taking a shot to the throat in late January. ... With the Rangers top line of C Derick Brassard, LW Rick Nash and RW Marty St. Louis combining for just one goal in the first three game of the series, New York coach Alain Vigneault said before the game he was contemplating changes to his lines but started the game with the same lines as Game 3. "As a coach you've got to do what you feel is best for your team," Vigneault said, "and if at some point I feel any changes need to be made for the benefit of the team I'll make them." ... The Rangers generated 69 attempts at the net in Game 3 but 27 of them were blocked and 12 more missed the net. ... Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin was nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL's Most Outstanding Player, an award voted on by NHL players.