NEW YORK — Marc Staal scored a power-play goal 1:35 into overtime after Brad Richards tied it in the dying seconds of regulation to lift the New York Rangers to a stunning 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.
With goalie Henrik Lundqvist pulled for an extra attacker, Washington's Joel Ward took a four-minute penalty for high-sticking Carl Hagelin with 21.3 seconds left in the third period. Richards tied it on the first half of the power play with just 7.6 seconds to go, and Staal won it with a drive that appeared to deflect off a Washington player before beating goalie Braden Holtby.Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman scored the only goal of the first period, skating the puck from the right point down the boards before shooting between the five-holes of Caps defenseman Dennis Wideman and goaltender Braden Holtby for the 1-0 lead with 9:16 remaining. It marked Stralman’s third goal of the playoffs and his first on even-strength.
Derek Stepan jumpstarted the play by turning over Caps winger Marcus Johansson with a tough check in the defensive zone, then later in the shift passed back to the point in the offensive zone to Marc Staal, who fed Stralman for the primary assist.
The Rangers dominated the first 20 minutes, outshooting the Capitals 17-to-4 after registering 20 shots on goal in all of Game 4 in Washington on Saturday.The opening period was the most physical of the series, beginning with Troy Brouwer and Ryan McDonagh exchanging hits on the first shift. Ruslan Fedotenko and Brooks Laich got into it along the wall, Stepan came out hitting and seemed invigorated by the contact. And Marian Gaborik finally found open ice, putting a team-high three shots on net.
New York’s power play sputtered with no shots on goal in one first-period opportunity, but then the Rangers ended the first by killing the majority of the Capitals’ only early man advantage, bringing the fans to their feet.
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