Going into Game 4 versus the New York Rangers, the Washington Capitals were looking for more production from their third and fourth lines. Another rookie stepped up and delivered.
Much like the previous game, the two teams went scoreless in the first 20 minutes of play.
Rangers’ center Derick Brassard broke up the scoreless game 6:12 into the second period when he received a great pass from right winger Martin St. Louis while streaking down center ice. Brassard had to secure the puck and put it over Caps goaltender Braden Holtby’s (28 saves) left shoulder, which he did.
Washington tied the game thanks to left winger Andre Burakovsky with 3:31 left in the second period. His shot was a bullet from the slot that NY goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (28 saves) got a piece of, but not enough of to keep from getting past him.
“I need to take more shots and I was right in the middle so it would be kind of crazy if I didn’t take a shot there,” Burakovsky said about his first goal.
Just 24 seconds into the final period of regulation, the 20-year-old added another goal to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead.
“I was kind of off angle [on the semi break away],” Burakovsky said about his back handed game-winning goal. “So I was trying to take it to the middle and saw that Lundqvist was kind of low. So I was trying to get over his pad. I’ve been watching him my whole life so it was pretty special scoring two goals on Lundqvist in such an important game in the series.”
“He’s unbelievable,” Washington defenseman John Carlson said. “He has one of the best wrist shots in the league and he’s just a young pup,”
Burakovsky became the fourth Caps rookie to score his first two career playoff goals in the same game. He joined center Evgeny Kuznetsov who reached the same feat in Game 5 of the first round versus the New York Islanders.
“Maybe [they are] the greatest,” Burakovsky replied with a laugh when asked if the two goals were the greatest moments of his career, “I don’t know.”
New York left winger Carl Hagelin was hooked on a breakaway by Washington defenseman Mike Green 8:01 into the third period which earned him a penalty shot. On the ensuing one-on-one chance for Hagelin, Holtby made a game-saving glove save on the Swede.
“You have to take that,” Capitals Head Coach Barry Trotz said about the play leading up to the penalty shot. “We have a lot of confidence in Braden. That was huge.”
The Capitals held on to the lead from there. A 2-1 win in Game 4 allowed them to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
The series moves back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 in New York City Friday night. The game will air nationally on NBCSN at 7 p.m.
With a win Friday night, Washington will have a chance to return to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998 when the team defeated the Boston Bruins in six games to go to the franchise’s first and only Stanley Cup Final.
“When you get a team in this situation you want to try and finish them as quickly as possible,” Caps defenseman Brooks Orpik said. “You want to squash any hope they have.”