Capitals Vs. Rangers, Game 4: Rangers Penalty Kill Helps Force Double OT

The first overtime of Game 4 between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals saw a few good chances, a breakaway and a power play. Yet, we are still tied at 3-3 after 80 minutes in this Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.

In overtime, both teams played it very close to the vest. It was unlike the overtime in the first game, which saw a lot of spurts of play in each teams zones, it was very up and down, but each team was covering well. Henrik Lundqvist and Michal Neuvirth had a solid early overtime. Both defenses shored up quite a bit after each team had a three-goal period earlier. All the stars were close-watched. The only real big early chance was when Brandon Dubinsky ran into a referee on what could've been a 2-on-0 with Gaborik.

Then, nearly 11 minutes in, every hockey fan on earth got the situation they wanted. Alexander Ovechkin got sprung on a break-away against Henrik Lundqvist all alone. Time stopped. Ovechkin went glove. Lundvist made the same. You have to wonder if, going forward, that will be what springs on the Rangers tonight. It's certainly the biggest save of the night if New York wins it. For Lundqvist, it was a reminder of just how good he can be, especially after a period where he was average, and downright porous.

Derek Stepan nearly put himself in hockey hell at 14:44. He took a dreaded "playing the puck over the glass" delay of game penalty. The Capitals had another huge chance to win it. They spent a full minute in the Rangers zone before New York could get it out once. The Rangers were finally able to kill it off, and Derek Stepan does not join the hall of shame at the Garden with what could have been a penalty that destroyed them. The Rangers survived the rest of overtime, however, and so did the Capitals, and we have our first double overtime of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs.