The Rangers are looking for their first series sweep in 17 years and they got to work quickly in Game 4.
The Blueshirts scored less than a minute into the opening period when Kaapo Kakko took advantage of a Capitals miscue at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
The puck wound up in the Capitals’ end when defenseman Nick Jensen lost the puck off his stick right under pressure near the front of the net, which allowed Kakko to quickly rip a shot past Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren.
The goal gave the Rangers an early 1-0 lead over the Capitals and allowed Kakko to pick up his first goal and point of the postseason.
The Capitals had scored the game’s opening goal in the past two straight games.
The Rangers’ lead didn’t hold and the Capitals managed to tie the score before the first period came to a close with Martin Fehervary scoring at the 14:54 mark, but the Rangers managed to get it back with 14 seconds left on the clock when Vincent Trocheck scored on the power play.
The Rangers, who hold a 3-0 series lead, haven’t swept a playoff series since 2007 when they knocked the Atlanta Thrashers – now the Winnipeg Jets – out of the first round.
They’ve managed to outscore the Caps 11-5 in the series going into Game 4 and have prevented Washington from mounting much of a threat thus far.
The Rangers have also stayed away from the outside noise.
“All the noise outside doesn’t always come in,” Jacob Trouba said on Sunday. “I think [after Game 3] we were at the hotel just hanging out talking, no one’s really talking about [Matt Rempe’s hit] or hockey or anything that really goes into that. It’s just friends hanging out being together, and a lot of the outside noise, I guess, just stays outside.”
Should the Rangers close out the series, they’d advance to face the winner between the Islanders and Hurricanes.