WASHINGTON — It was more than just a bad bounce, and the Rangers know that.
But there was only a one and a zero hanging from the Verizon Center scoreboard Monday night, and it was the round number next to the Rangers name.
A deflection off the skate of Keith Yandle and then off the skate of goalie Henrik Lundqvist allowed Jay Beagle to get the lone tally of Game 3, giving Washington a 1-0 win and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven, second-round playoff series.
“It’s terrible luck, but when you get to the second round and you get to playoff hockey, these are the games,” Rick Nash said. “They’re tight. Fluky goals win you games. We have to make sure we work for our opportunity.”
Nash worked about as hard anyone on the ice, but could never find a way to beat Braden Holtby, who made 30 stops to collect his second career postseason shutout — the first two years ago to the day, also against the Rangers.
“When he’s seeing it, he’s stopping it,” said Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh. “We have to find a way to get real aggressive in front, get real hungry, and get one through.”
There was frustration in the Blueshirts dressing room, and how couldn’t there be? There certainly were areas of their game they would like to see improved by the time Game 4 starts Wednesday night on the Capitals’ home ice, and that most notably includes some questionable decisions with the puck and some lost one-on-one battles along the boards and around the nets.
But there were positives, too, and if they could have buried one in the frenetic chaos of the final 10 minutes — with Kevin Hayes getting three great looks and Dominic Moore getting two — it would have changed the entire feeling. Instead, it’s the Capitals now thinking about how what they have to do to try to hold serve at home and take a commanding 3-1 lead going back to New York.
“We just have to work for our opportunities,” Nash said. “They have good defensemen back there that are good at boxing out, but it’s a matter of will and wanting it more.”
The goal came at 7:31 of the second, and started when Dan Girardi lost the puck at his feet and turned it over to Washington forward Andre Burakovsky. That set up Beagle for an initial shot, which Lundqvist turned aside with his blocker.
But with Martin St. Louis seemingly engulfed in a battle with Troy Bouwer, Beagle was able to get his own rebound, circle behind the net and toss a backhand toward the front — where it hit Yandle’s skate, then Lundqvist’s skate, and popped in.
“It’s just tough luck on the rebound,” Lundqvist said. “Keith was down, it hit his leg and before you know it, it’s in the net. It’s one of those plays that might happen in a game like this.”
Games like this are the ones the Rangers have made a living winning in recent years. They might have been a high-flying team while earning the Presidents’ Trophy in the regular season, but come the postseason, things tighten up and they are just fine with that.
That’s because they normally come through on the few opportunities given to them, like the breakaway afforded to St. Louis with 6:37 remaining in the second period. The future Hall of Famer had a clear look, and buried it right into the chest of Holtby.
“I got my shot,” St. Louis said. “I just didn’t score.”
There is no panic in the Rangers after this, and even the frustration seemed temporary. They have the pedigree to weather a tough loss, just as they bounced back from Game 1’s last-second defeat with a strong Game 2 performance to tie the series.
Now another bounce-back is needed, or the danger of an early start to the offseason, and all the disappointment that would mean, becomes far more real.
“It’s a loss, that’s what it is,” Lundqvist said. “It’s disappointing. We’ll look at the tape and try to see where we can improve and get the next one. It’s not going to be easy. They’re a good team.”