On May 25th, 1994, New York Rangers captain Mike Messier guaranteed that his club would be victorious in Game 6 against the New Jersey Devils. Messier backed up his proclamation with a hat-trick in the third period, sending the series back to Madison Square Garden for Game 7. They would dispose of the Devils and go on to win the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vancouver Canucks to end a 54-year championship drought.
The man who bears the “C” on his chest in Washington, Alex Ovechkin, made a similar statement 21 years later before tonight’s Game 7 between the Capitals and the Rangers:
“We’re going to come back and win the series…we’re going to play our game, and we’re going to come back and we’re going to play Montreal or Tampa.”
Large words coming from a player who had only registered five points (2G, 3A) in eight career Game 7’s. Although it wasn’t necessarily a “Messier-esque” guarantee, it was still a confident response that the away team coming into MSG in a must-win contest could rally around.
Stepan, Rangers Advance to Eastern Conference Final
Hockey fans everywhere will tell you that Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is the most exciting event in all of sports. The atmosphere is unparalleled, the drama is endless, and that’s just before the opening face-off.
The best chance early on came from an Ovechkin one-timer seven minutes into the first period, but Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made a prime-time stop to preserve the scoreless tie. Five minutes later, however, it would be #8 in white and red that would come up with the first goal of Game 7.
After Nicklas Backstrom sent a pass towards Marcus Johansson at the left circle, Johansson sauced one through traffic through three Rangers towards a streaking Ovechkin who roofed one past Lundqvist to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead.
It was the Moscow, Russia native’s 5th goal of the 2015 postseason. A great start for a forward who said his team would end up on the winning side of Game 7. After Derick Brassard took a tripping penalty with less than four minutes left in the period, it was Rick Nash who would have the best scoring opportunity for the Rangers to tie up the game in the first twenty minutes.
Nash had a breakaway from the blue-line in on Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby, but was denied by his stick as he attempted to go forehand-backhand between the 6’2″ netminder’s legs. After one period, it was the visitors who held a one-goal lead in the most famous arena in all of sports.
The next set of twenty minutes was more of a defensive stalemate, but discipline became the main theme of the second period. Washington killed off 1:27 of a Jay Beagle minor penalty to start, but Mike Green put the Caps back on the penalty kill just 28 seconds later for tripping. New York failed to even up the score on the ensuing man-advantage. Right after he exited the sin bin, Green returned for a cross-checking infraction.
This time, the Rangers would break through Holtby on the powerplay. J.T. Miller finessed a pass across the ice to Kevin Hayes who slipped it past the right pad of Holtby, tying the game at one with 6:22 remaining for his second tally of the playoffs.
Two periods down, the Rangers and Capitals were knotted at one.
Not a lot of open space was available in the final period of regulation as both teams picked up the physical play. A pure example of that was when Brooks Orpik stepped up on Dan Boyle with his shoulder impacting Boyle’s head as the original point of contact. The 38-year-old defenseman appeared groggy after the hit and left the ice under his own power after being attended to by a trainer.
Boyle left the game and didn’t return.
Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nash had their respective attempts to break the tie, but Lundqvist and Holtby turned them aside. The horn sounded at the end of sixty minutes and there was still no winner of the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup, so overtime would be required to determine a victor.
Overtime in Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is every NHLer’s dream. Whether you played the game professionally or not, hockey fans have all dreamt of scoring the game-winner to send your team to the next round.
Derek Stepan made a lifelong dream come true as he shot the puck over a sprawling Holtby 11:24 into the overtime period. The play was created off a faceoff in the offensive zone which New York controlled after a brief tie-up. Keith Yandle shifted the puck back to Dan Girardi at the top of the point when Girardi blasted a drive on goal that was turned aside straight to Stepan’s stick and to the right of Holtby.
Stepan, the Hastings, MN native, made no mistake for his third goal of this year’s playoffs. Madison Square Garden erupted, the Rangers celebrated, the Capitals were downhearted. All the emotions you would expect from a Game 7.
For Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, it’s time to reflect on a very successful rookie season for head coach Barry Trotz, who changed the landscape of the roster with his leadership style. Back to the drawing board in the nation’s capital.
For the Rangers, their season continues after falling behind 3-1 in the series. The Blueshirts are headed to their second straight Eastern Conference Final. Last year, they beat the Montreal Canadiens in six games after coming back from a 3-1 deficit against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It might be a familiar storyline for New York, but they are certainly looking to change the outcome this time around after falling to the L.A. Kings in the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. New York moves to 7-0 all-time at home in Game 7’s. Henrik Lundqvist has now won 10 straight elimination games at MSG.
The Rangers will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. In the Western Conference, the Anaheim Ducks will face off against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Hockey’s Final Four is finally set.
