The New York Rangers pushed the Washington Capitals to the brink of elimination on Monday night with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. With Joel Ward still in the box for a double-minor after drawing blood on a high-sticking penalty to Carl Hagelin, the Caps were forced to buckle down with two minutes remaining on the penalty right at the start of OT. The Rangers put the pressure on right away, and then quickly broke through with the game-winner just 1:35 into the extra session.
New york center John Mitchell won the face off and the puck was sent out to the top of the zone to Rangers' defenseman Marc Staal. The Rangers captain skated to his left and would fire a low rocket from out top that went through two block attempts and plenty of traffic to find the back of the net. Video of the goal below:
After the heartbreaking loss, the series now moves back to Chinatown, with Game 6 scheduled for Wednesday night at Verizon Center.
Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates throughout the Capitals and Rangers Eastern Conference semifinal series. For more news and analysis on the Caps, visit Japers' Rink. For news and info from a Rangers perspective during the series, visit Blueshirt Banter. And for all your news on the NHL Playoffs, check out SB Nation's NHL hub.