In Washington, DC, John Carlson put a knuckler on net at 5:34 of the opening stanza, the puck drift over Igor Shesterkin’s right shoulder and into the net for a 1-0 lead over the New York Rangers to the Capitals on Friday night.
“I think throughout the series so far they’ve come up with the big moments,” Carlson said, “whether that’s answering, whether that’s coming up with the next one, stuff like that. It’s disappointing and nothing we can do about the past now.”
That lead lasted all of 34 seconds.
Chris Kreider set himself up at the top of the crease with two Capitals draped all over him. Mika Zibanejad sent a wrister on net that Kreider ticked into the net for a 1-1 tie at 6:04.
From there, the Rangers hit for a shorthanded and power play goal for a 3-1 win, and a 3-0 series lea over the Caps in the opening Stanley Cup Playoff series.
Shesterkin made 28 saves in the win.
“He’s been there for us all year,” Zibanejad said. “Just to see him play the way he did tonight was huge for us, and especially in the moments when they have their push.”
Game 4 is set for Washington on Sunday.
“We just really, really are struggling to just make that play,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “Just whatever it is, whether it’s shoot it in the back of the net when you’re in cold or whether it’s to make one, two, three, four passes. You see it on the power play big time.”
The Rangers focused on the defensive game in the third, they were outshot 14-5, but limited the number of second chance shots.
The Caps were scoreless on six gifted power plays.
“I think we can be on the same page a little more,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said of the power play. “At the end of the day we scored one goal 5-on-5, and the power play needs to help out.”
The Rangers added a shorthanded goal just two minutes after the Kreider tip in, this one came off an odd man rush after a takeaway in the defensive zone. Barclay Goodrow went in on the rush with Vincent Trocheck for a shot along the ice and a 2-1 lead after the first period.
“I think we like to play aggressively and we’re always on our toes, not sitting back on our heels,” Goodrow said. “It seems as of late we’ve gotten a lot of chances and obviously that’s a bonus. The first job is to kill it off, but obviously [defenseman K’Andre Miller] got a big goal for us last game and tonight we got another one. It’s been doing well for us.”
In the middle frame, Trocheck worked a give-and-go play with Zibanejad in the left corner. With Kreider playing in the left circle, Trocheck was open for a pass from Zibanejad and a quick shot for a power play strike and a 3-1 lead.
“I’m just trying to get through the slot, see if he can see me, if he can find me, and if not, then we kind of get in another set and stay netfront,” Trocheck said. “But, basically, that’s him that finds me.”
It was not an easy win, it was more playoff style hockey with the Caps pressing and outpacing the Rangers at times. Shesterkin made several keys saves protecting the early 2-1 lead, and then icing the game with a a standout third period effort. 
Charlie Lindgren made 19 saves in the loss.
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