Joel Ward’s last-gasp goal with 1.3 seconds left in regulation stunned a Madison Square Garden crowd preparing for overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series in New York.
The sequence leading to Ward’s goal began when Alex Ovechkin dumped the puck deep in the Rangers zone. Dan Boyle played the puck along the boards trying to freeze 
it when Nicklas Backstrom dislodged it with a hit from behind. As Boyle went down to his knees apparently injured by the hit, Ovechkin shoveled the loose puck to Ward, camped out in front of Henrik Lundqvist’s net. Ward squeaked it through Lundqvist’s pads. Replay in Toronto confirmed that the puck crossed the goal line with 1.3 seconds to spare.
“He [Ovechkin] made an unbelievable pass across his body. He was almost behind the net pretty much and I just took a hard whack at it. I didn’t really know what was going on,” said Ward.
“I heard [Ward] screaming so loud. I just wanted to throw the puck [to him]. As soon as I went to the bench and I saw the replay, it was a clear goal. We’ll take it,” said Ovechkin.
“I feel like we all just kind of stopped when Boyle went down. We lost our focus a little bit and gave up the last chance. The way it happened, I was kind of going to my right and it looked like the puck was going to come out on my right and then when it came out, I was too late to come down. It’s a tough one,” said Lundqvist.
Even though the Rangers couldn’t do anything with the ensuing faceoff, they engaged in fisticuffs. The Rangers felt like they let the Capitals score when they were expecting a penalty on Backstrom with Boyle needing attention on the ice after the hit.
Jesper Fast had tied the game for the Rangers at 15:21 of the third period as he tipped a Kevin Hayes shot from the point. “Double deflection, it’s hard to really do anything. Those goals are generated by the other team going to the net, throwing pucks to the net. Goals like that, you just have to tip your hat to the other team and move on,” said Washington goaltender Braden Holtby.
Ovechkin scored on the power play at 18:13 of the first period. Boyle tried to front Ovechkin backpedaling as he carried the puck into the Rangers zone, but ended up serving as Ovechkin’s screen as he unleashed a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that beat Lundqvist top shelf. “Probably the gap could have been a little bit tighter there, but they made a good cross play and Ovechkin shot that puck right through [Boyle]. It’s a tough one,” said New York head coach Alain Vigneault.
The Capitals’ No. 1-rated power play unit went only 2 for 14 in the first round against the New York Islanders. Ovechkin was the NHL leader in goals (53) and power play goals (25). Ovechkin had scored a power play goal in his last four regular season games against the Rangers.
This goal was the first playoff goal the Capitals scored on the Rangers since Game 6 of their 2013 first round series, having been shut out in Game 7 that year.
The Capitals penalty kill is still perfect in this postseason after going 2-for-2 today. The Capitals went 14-for-14 in the first round.
Holtby made 31 saves on 32 shots for the Capitals. Lundqvist made 27 saves on 29 shots for the Rangers.
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