WASHINGTON, DC — For the first time in the New York Rangers' first-round series against the Washington Capitals, Marian Gaborik was a presence in Game 2. Four shots, two shots blocked, aggressive moves to the net -- a threat.
It was the kind of effort the offensively challenged Rangers need if they're going to rally from this 2-0 hole the Capitals have dropped them into, save for one caveat: They need Gaborik to finish those chances and put goals on the board -- and he knows it.
"It's not enough. You can't win with one goal [in two games]. We have to do everything we can to get goals. Try to get the ugly goal. Go into traffic, be in his face. Shoot the puck as much as we can," said Gaborik after the 2-0 loss, a 22-save shutout for rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth.
Gaborik hasn't scored a goal since March 20, after tallying 22 in 62 games during the regular season. Is his shot as effective as he'd like it to be?
"If it was, [the puck] would be in the net, obviously," he said. "In that crucial time, I just have to bear down. Not squeezing the stick too hard. Just have to relax a little bit. I guess close my eyes or something. I have to keep shooting."
The Rangers played the Capitals tight in the first period, outshooting them 13-7. But the game turned in the first 4 minutes of the next frame.
The Capitals broke through 2:11 into the second on a terrific tic-tac-toe passing play. While falling to the ice, Brooks Laich one-handed a pass to Marcus Johansson in the left circle, who fed Jason Chimera on the slot for a one-timer. Bing bang boom, 1-0.
It was 2-0 on another play that got Lundqvist moving laterally, which the Capitals said after Game 1 was essential on Alex Semin's game winner. At 4:08 and with Ryan McDonough in the box, Mike Green's point shot was saved to Jason Arnott, who cashed in for his first of the playoffs.
"Torts calls them 'surges,'" said forward Brian Boyle, a bright spot in the third period for the Rangers on a line with Brandon Prust and Sean Avery. "There's a momentum swing. You try to talk yourself out of it, stay positive on the bench, but it's tough sometimes."
After getting the lead, the Capitals' philosophic shift from a run-and-gun team to a more defensively responsible one took over. They blocked 21 shots in the game, kept the pressure away from Neuvirth's crease and didn't allow the Rangers much time cycling in the zone.
Gaborik is the most prominent scorer on the Rangers' roster to struggle in this series, but he's not the only one. In particular, their power play has crippled them: The Capitals took penalties at the end of the first and second periods, only to have the Rangers barely threaten them on the man advantage.
New York's now 1-for-31 on the power play in its last 11 games. It didn't get them a goal they needed in Game 2. In fact, it may have handed momentum to their opponents.
"We talk about it a lot," explained Boyle. "You just can't get nervous, and have [to have] confidence in each other. Just keep getting shots and getting bodies there."
Boyle stared into space, contemplating his words for a moment.
"That's the same thing I said after Game 1."