WASHINGTON — The power-play chances don’t usually come by the bushel in the playoffs, so each one that is fumbled is more noticeable.
Just like the two scoreless chances the Rangers had in their 1-0 Game 3 loss to the Capitals at Verizon Center on Monday night.
“I had a couple good looks to get a puck to the net and looked another direction,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “It’s tough because you’re not going to get too many opportunities on the power play in the playoffs, most games. You have to find a way to get one by him [Caps goaltender Braden Holtby] there.”
The Rangers went 1-for-4 on the man-advantage in Game 2, the lone goal coming from a Dan Boyle shot that took advantage of a Rick Nash screen. That is a new role for Nash, as the net-front presence on the man-advantage, with coach Alain Vigneault crediting Nash — along with Chris Kreider — for taking abuse from defensemen in front and still making plays.
“When I look at our personnel, and I look at who can do the net-front best and still be able to tip pucks, take some checks in front there and maybe slide some pucks in,” Vigneault said. “I look at Kreids, I look at Nasher, two big bodies that can take some abuse and still have the [guts] to stay in there and take it and do what they need to do.”
As for shooting the puck on the power play, McDonagh thinks they need to do more of it.
“Sometimes you kind of over-think it,” the captain said. “[Holtby] has a clear lane, he’s going to stop it, but at the same time, he’s going to create a rebound. So instead of trying to find a guy off to the side a little bit closer to the net, you have to try to shoot for a rebound instead of trying to shoot to score when he’s got clear lines. Something we’ll look at and keep working.”
The Rangers were atrocious at the face-off dot, winning just 31 percent of the draws, with Kevin Hayes going 0-for-5 in the first period and not taking another one all game.
“Tonight was obviously not one of our good games,” Vigneault said about face-offs. “We’re going to try and improve on that area. We’re a better team when we start with the puck than when we’re chasing it.”
Derek Stepan won three of 16 draws, and Derick Brassard won seven of 22.
Defensemen Chris Summers and Matt Hunwick remained healthy scratches, as did forward Ryan Bourque, just called up from AHL Hartford on Saturday.