After the Rangers‘ Rick Nash tied the game at two, the Bruins took over, scoring three unanswered goals en route to a 5-2 win over the Rangers.

Special teams were in the difference in Game 1 and could be for the rest of the series if the Penguins keep scoring on the man-advantage.

Highlights from the Sharks v Kings game on May 16

Highlights from the Rangers v Bruins game on May 16:

San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres has been suspended for the remainder of the Western Conference Semifinals for an illegal hit to the head of Los Angeles Kings forward Jarret Stoll during Game 1 of the series in Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 14

After the Blackhawks explosive third peroid in Game 1, do the Red Wings have a chance to come back in the series?

The Rangers got their first win of the season from a Marian Gaborik OT breakaway.

As both the Rangers and the Bruins wiped the sweat from their forehead, they were able to enjoy their first round wins… for an hour before realizing they are playing each other in two days. Catch your breath because the fun has just begun. A classic Original Six matchup for two teams that haven’t met in the postseason since 1973 and two cities that plain and simple don’t like each other (only in sports). Only two weeks removed from Celtics/Knicks playoffs, MSG and TD Bank Garden will host a rivalry that goes back to 1926. If you think this series will be similar to either first round series, think again.

2013 Recap:
-Despite the Save-of-the-Year in the Season Opener, Henrik Lundqvist’s club fell 3-1 as the Rangers debuted Rick Nash. A second period goal by Brad Richards was the only other highlight in this dismal affair for the Blueshirts. For the Bruins, they got goals from Milan Lucic and Daniel Paille before Johnny Boychuk’s third period floater eluded Lundqvist.
-At MSG, the Rangers put together their “Superline” of Brad Richards-Rick Nash-Marian Gaborik and it paid immediate dividends. Nash assisted on Gaborik’s first of two goals before the Bruins tied it in the second. However, a minute after, Taylor Pyatt gave the Rangers the lead right back. The Bruins would get the equalizer in the third period from Nathan Horton, but Marian Gaborik’s poke check and breakaway goal in Overtime gave the Rangers their first win of the season.
-The final game between the two teams was only three weeks later. Rick Nash was with Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin, who scored on a brilliant feed from the big winger. The Rangers would take a 3-0, but eerily similar to Boston’s Game 7, the Rangers allowed TWO goals in the final 90 seconds. The Blushirts would take the second point in a shootout, but the game made Blueshirt fans uneasy because of the comeback.

Stars to watch:

Rangers won their last series without Rick Nash scoring.

NY Rangers Rick Nash – The maligned Blueshirt winger didn’t tally a goal in the first round series against the Washington Capitals and the pressure of the not-scoring must have felt like Atlas holding up the Earth. Now the Rangers aren’t facing a series deficit and that can only help Nash. Nash played with four different centers in the last series (Brian Boyle, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard and Brad Richards) and notched two assists- including Derek Stepan’s Game 3 winner. Expect ANY production from Nash in this series, but the feeling that the Rangers beat the Capitals without him must relieve pressure instead of increasing it. You’d have to look at the situation as glass half full.
Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron - The Boston star center started slow, but in March he tallied 17 points (6g, 11a) and was on pace for a great finish…until a concussion derailed his season. Bergeron had one assist in April. Now he’s healthy and coming off a great Game 7 where he scored the Game Tying and Game Winning Goals. However, Game 7 was the exception to Bergeron’s postseason. His previous six playoff produced a single goal and nothing else. Bergeron has been an excellent performer for Boston the past few years and could be a problem.

Secondary Stars:

David Krejci had an unbelievable first round!

NY Rangers Derick Brassard - Few players broke out the way Derick Brassard did. After going pointless in the first two games, Brassard accumulated 2 goals and 7 assists in the remaining five games. Brassard played with various linemates in the series (like Rick Nash) but produced with everyone from Ryane Clowe to Carl Hagelin to Taylor Pyatt. His 9 points in a playoff was tied for the second highest point total by a Ranger in a playoff series (Mark Messier 12 in 1992). For an encore, Brassard must duplicate it and he should get favorable matchups the entire series as the Bruins has injuries all over their defense corps.
Boston Bruin David Krejci - Boston’s answer to Brassard is David Krejci with 13 points- including a Game 4 hat trick with an overtime game winner. Like Bergeron, Krejci started slowly before exploding in March. Unlike the Boston star center, Krejci continued his production through April (3 g, 2 a) into the playoffs. The Bruins center was pointless in only Game 6, but registered 4 multipoint games. Though Bergeron is the focus, Krejci will be quite a threat.

Under the Radar Player:

Boston’s Milan Lucic set up a home in front of Lundqvist.

NY Rangers Carl Hagelin - In the first round, Hagelin’s 4 points were important, but his plus-4 rating, defensive pressure and 5-on-5 play caused problems for the Capitals throughout the series. The official reigning NHL’s fastest skater Hagelin (sorry Grabner) will need to continue using his speed well against the big, but slower Boston defense.
Boston Bruins Milan Lucic - The Washington Capitals had several talented fast goal scorers, but no one as big or tenacious as Milan Lucic. Lucic has always been a nightmare for the Rangers defense and there is no Ranger defenseman that matches up as well against him as they did Alexander Ovechkin. Lucic had 2 goals and 7 assists in the series versus Toronto while keying the Boston comeback in Game 7. He is one of the few true power forwards in the league. He’ll stir the pot in front of Henrik Lundqvist and cause havoc for the Rangers where he’s scored in EVERY game against the Blueshirts. Likely, he’ll be the forward they’ll have to neutralize.

Blueliners to watch:

Currently, there’s no D-man better than Boston’s Big Z.

NY Rangers Ryan McDonagh - McDonagh was a key reason why Alexander Ovechkin was shutdown in the quarterfinals. Now, he’ll have either Milan Lucic or Brad Marchand to worry about. Unlike Ovechkin, Lucic sets up at the front of the net and McDonagh is the Rangers strongest defenseman. In the meantime, he’ll likely have Brad Marchand in his face, trying to goad him into the box.
Boston Bruins Zdeno Chara - Not hard to figure out since he’s pretty much Mr. Norris Trophy. The Rangers should expect to see A LOT of Chara. In Game 7, the 6’9″ defenseman played over 35 MINUTES due to the injuries to the Boston’s defense. He neutralizes big time players, but if Bruins’ coach Claude Julien gets desperate again, Chara will have to play against multiple units. If Chara doesn’t get worn down, he’ll shut down everyone on the Rangers. Worse yet, Chara can be used in front of the net to screen Henrik Lundqvist or at the point where he’ll release his 109 MPH slap shot. If you don’t think the shot can do damage, ask Captain Ryan Callahan who broke his ankle blocking the shot in 2011.

Look for:

Yet another physical winger the Rangers will have to worry about.

NY Rangers Derek Stepan to continue his great play. Stepan scored back-to-back game winning goals in Games 3 & 4, but Stepan generated chances all throughout the series while playing good defense. Stepan was a key contributor in the season and during the playoff push. He will likely not draw Chara and that could free up room for the talented young center.
Boston Bruins Nathan Horton to be a force. Horton scored twice against the Rangers this year and the former 2003 first round pick was always a dangerous player, but now he has a 28.6 shooting percentage and is a mind-boggling PLUS-11! Horton’s size and speed will be a problem as the Rangers will likely matchup against Michael Del Zotto or Marc Staal if he returns. He was Boston’s best forward on their march to the Stanley Cup, but was knocked out of the series on a hit in Game 2. This season, Horton has rounded back into the talented winger that deposited 26 goals two years ago.

Goaltending:

Henrik Lundqvist made the Save-of-the-Year in the opener.

NY Rangers Henrik Lundqvist - The hottest goalie in the NHL now is King Henrik and facing elimination, Lundqvist didn’t allow a goal. In the Caps series, he posted a 1.65 Goals Against Average and a .942 Save Percentage, despite allowing some soft goals early in the series. So far, Lundqvist shutout the opposition in THREE games in regulation and allowed two or fewer goals in three of the four road games. Lundqvist was always questioned for his playoff metal, but it looks like the King turned a legendary  corner.
Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask - After taking over for a Conn Smythe Trophy winner (Tim Thomas), Tuukka Rask has cemented himself in Beantown for a while. His regular season numbers were outstanding (2.00 GAA, .929 save percentage) and his play arguably slipped a little in the postseason. His GAA in the Toronto series was 2.49 with a .924 save %, but Toronto was a more open team than the Rangers. This series will see a better Tuukka Rask, but he still hasn’t been playoff tested. He did make a stellar save to keep Toronto from extending their lead in the third to remain 4-2 in the waining moments of Game 7. Rask could steal the show, but will he?

The Rangers will win if… Rick Nash and the Rangers offense comes alive. In the Washington series, the Rangers kept the top ranked Capitals power play down to three PP goals. Boston’s Power Play is in the league’s bottom. The Rangers can attack the injury riddled Boston defense with their three lines and take the series quickly.

The Bruins will win if… Chara shuts down Nash and Horton/Lucic disrupt Lundqvist. The Bruins can outmuscle the Rangers in front of the net. Rask simply has to play steady and the Bruins can move on.

Derek Stepan’s pair of game winners was the first time since 1997 (Adam Graves).

When the New York Rangers met up with the Washington Capital in 2009, the headlines were easy; League’s Elite Scorer vs. League’s Elite Goaltender. As it turned out, that’s exactly what happened in that first matchup. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist stole three of the first four game and Capitals winger Alexander Ovechkin produced goals before his teammates joined the party in Game 5 to down the Rangers in seven games. In 2011, the script was very much the same. The Rangers had to keep the Capitals offense down and the Caps had to break through the Rangers defense. The Caps won that series in 5, which featured a Double OT win in Game 4, but last year was different. The Capitals featured a more defensive style as neither team scored more than 3 goals/game in the series that the Rangers won in seven games. So far, this series appears to be MUCH different.

Mike Green’s Power Play one-timer won Game 2.

For starters, the Capitals played a grind-it-out Game 1. In spite of the Rangers outshooting the Caps (36-31), outhitting (41-32) and didn’t give the puck away as much, the Caps prevailed 3-1 with a victory. The Caps game plan was simple: throw the puck at the Ranger net from anywhere. Proof that it worked was on the Rangers’ nemesis Jason Chimera’s goal that he shot on goal from outside the hashmarks on the Left Wing boards. Game 2 saw the Caps pressing offensively in the first two periods with 25 shots, but shutting down the Rangers offense in the final 27 minutes of the game (5 shots in the Third period and Overtime). In both games Washington scored Power Play goals and Mike Green was a tremendous factor. The Caps threw the Rangers game right back at them and lots.

Derick Brassard led the way with 5 points.

When the series shifted to New York, the Rangers offense exploded for 4 goals in each game. Derick Brassard registered 5 points (1 G, 4 A) in that span and for the first time since 1997 Derek Stepan scored consecutive game winning goals (Adam Graves). In Game 4, Stepan took more shots (6) than Capitals sniper Alexander Ovechkin did in Games 3 & 4 (4). The Rangers outhit Washington (38-20) and outshot the Caps (34-30) even after the Caps 15 shot Third Period. The Capitals “Big Three” (Green, Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom) combined for 3 points in New York. The Rangers power play has outshined the Capitals by scoring at a 20% success rate while killing all FIVE Capitals power plays. The Rangers haven’t lost a playoff game when scoring four goals since Game 1 of 2008 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers threw the Caps game right back in their face.

Rangers won their last two games without Rick Nash scoring a goal.

The most alarming stat so far is the lack of production from Rick Nash. The Rangers big ticket acquisition assisted on Game 3′s winner… and that’s it. Whereas the Capitals success has coincided with Alexander Ovechkin’s success, the Rangers have won without Nash producing. As Nash has been a Minus-1 in this series, the Rangers find themselves comfortable with their leading goal scorer’s absence from the goal sheet. Nash back-checked well in the Third period of Game 2 and NBC’s Pierre Maguire speculated that Nash was going to “have something to say about the outcome of the game.” He nearly did. As the Rangers didn’t notch an official shot in the final 17 minutes, Nash broke through the Capitals defense and hit the post in waining moments of regulation. If Nash scored… then this wouldn’t have been a topic and the Rangers would have an opportunity to close out the Caps in Game 5.  However, Nash’s defensive play would still please Coach John Tortorella, but the longer Nash doesn’t produce only adds pressure. On the other hand, Nash scoring could erupt and he could easily carry the Rangers to the next round.

It seems that this series will perplex most experts and fans. The Capitals have limited the Rangers while the Rangers have opened up their game to beat the Capitals. As the series shifts once again, no one knows what to expect next. Will the Caps open up or will the Rangers tighten up? Will Ovechkin or Nash break out? Will the Capitals role players continue to score or will the Rangers depth factor into a series lead? Everyone has questions, but no one has an answer. Game 5 is Friday night.

There was no scoring until Mike Green’s one-timer crossed the goal line.

There’s always that saying in life- usually when talking to a lonely person at the end of a bar slowly sipping a drink- when they talk about, “The one that got away.” Perhaps it was a moment when things were perfect, but just bad timing. Perhaps it was a bad situation made good, but ended in tragedy. Perhaps it was all just the dream where you awoke without what you wanted.

For the New York Rangers, that was today. Everything looked right for the Blueshirts as they stared across at the nemesis the Washington Capitals. They saw a goaltender that was fighting the puck early on. They held down the league’s leading goal scorer and Washington’s Power Play wasn’t getting through. All while the Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was sharp and the Rangers offense broke through for two post hits, but no goals…until the 8:00 mark of OT when Washington defenseman Mike Green’s one-timer on the Power Play found the back of the net for a 2-0 series lead. The shot caromed off the left post, past the outstretched glove of a screened Henrik Lundqvist and it echoed through Verizon Arena before the capacity crowd erupted with nothing to show for the Rangers’ effort.

Ovechkin was stymied by Henrik Lunqvist.

The first period saw the best chances for the Rangers when about seven minutes in, Anton Stralman beat Capitals‘ goalie Braden Holtby, but the shot rang off the crossbar. The Rangers top unit of Derek Stepan-Carl Hagelin-Ryan Callahan generated a quality chance before that with Stepan getting a short side opportunity that Holtby was up to the task. Then the Caps forecheck produced a couple chances and an dividend. Alexander Ovechkin’s check on Rangers’ Carl Hagelin changed the Swedish winger for the rest of the game as the thigh-to-thigh hit slowed down the speedy forward. Early in the first, new Rangers Derek Dorsett made his Blueshirt debut, but his rugged play was whistled for two penalties. Both came in the offensive zone where coaches dread penalties taken and the first led to a Washington Power Play. Guaranteed, coach John Tortorella will have a couple of notes in video session. Some sloppy play would mar the end of the first period and into the second. Holtby gloved down a Brad Richards’ dump in and carelessly dropped it down where Mats Zuccarello swooped in. He turned and fed it to the slot, but Washington’s backcheck caught up. The team’s each got 12 shots in second period with Washington getting the best of chances. Henrik Lundqvist made two great saves and one more with Ryan McDonagh assisting on stopping Marcus Johansson with a wide open net.

The Rangers will have to dig deep and show the heart of a champion in the next two games to stay alive.

The tide turned a little in the third. After the Capitals’ had a 2-on-1 that led to a Mike Ribero scoring chance, the Rangers started taking the play more to the Caps with Rick Nash leading the way. Nash was moved up to the first unit Callahan and Stepan, but late in the game Nash rushed into the zone and rang the potential game-winning shot off the right post. The Rangers went to the Power Play and generated a lot of puck movement, but two easy shots. Late in the game, the Capitals Defenseman Karl Alzner batted a puck that appeared to go over the glass, but the refs talked it over and decided it was no penalty.

However, the Rangers did get a Power Play in Overtime for a similar call. This time it was Steve Olesky that was guilty. The Rangers would press and give up a shorthanded chance to Nik Backstrom, but Lundqvist was up to the task. Then after a long -almost two minute shift- Ryan McDonagh fired the puck towards the glass, but missed and sailed the puck into the crowd. As the loud cheer came from the crowd, the Rangers would try to kill the penalty, but McDonagh wouldn’t see the ice until the game was over.

In 2011, the Rangers went down 2-0 against the Capitals and took Game 3 of the hard-fought contest with a late goal by Brandon Dubinsky. After taking a 3-0 lead, the Rangers surrendered three third period goals in Game 4 to lose in Double Overtime on a defensive zone mistake by Marian Gaborik. This series can quickly change on a play in Game 3 and turn just as swiftly on a simple gaff. The Rangers will have to be nearly perfect over the next two games. Plenty of teams have evened series after dropping the first two games and now the Rangers must dig deep. If they truly believe they can win the Stanley Cup, they must show they have to guts to do so. Now is the time and it’s running out.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 31st career playoff goal and Braden Holtby made 35 saves to lead the Capitals to a 3-1 win over the Rangers.