The New York Rangers made quick work of the Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning 4-2 on Sunday and sweeping the Capitals 4-0 in their best-of-seven series, advancing to the second round.
Forward Mike Zibanejad led the way with a goal and six assists for seven points, a remarkable improvement from his playoff performance last season. Vincent Trocheck wasn’t far behind, producing three goals and three assists for six points, and even Matt Rempe, who became the league’s latest villain with a willingness to drop the gloves, got on the scoresheet and kept his penalties to a minimum.
My big question from the series is: are the Rangers a legitimate, bonafide Stanley Cup contender, or was the domination just because the Capitals aren’t a very good team?: I think they are, and we’re really gonna find out in the next series. Odds are they’re going to get the Carolina Hurricanes. When we talk about teams who play the right way, but this is different: the Capitals limped in and never really had the guns to do anything.
I thought Igor Shesterkin had a pretty easy series. At times, he made some key saves, but he was pretty insultated. If you play the Hurricanes, or even the New York Islanders, is going to be more of a challenge. He’s going to have to be the best player moving forward.