Alex Ovechkin, Capitals Slammed by NHL Fans for Loss to Panarin, Rangers in Game 2

The New York Rangers have taken a 2-0 first-round playoff series lead over the Washington Capitals after a 4-3 home victory on Tuesday evening.

Rangers center Mika Zibanejad authored the game's key moment (at the expense of Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin), leading to the game-winning goal.

The Rangers were up 3-2 late in the second period but found themselves on the penalty kill after defenseman Erik Gustafsson went to the penalty box for a delay-of-game.

Ovechkin possessed the puck in the neutral zone, but Zibanejad ripped the puck away and started a game of tic-tac-toe with teammate Chris Kreider. Zibanejad then slid the puck into the slot, where defenseman K'Andre Miller went top shelf for the 4-2 edge.

Capitals forward Tom Wilson scored a tip-in goal on the power play with 8:15 left to slash the Rangers' lead in half, but New York survived despite Washington having an extra attacker for the final 2:43.

Zibanejad and Rangers center Vincent Trocheck paced the Blueshirts with a goal and an assist apiece. Jack Roslovic scored the other New York goal, netting his on the power play to break a two-all tie in the second. Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome scored Washington's other goals.

The Capitals entered this series as heavy underdogs against the Presidents' Trophy winners. They didn't clinch a playoff berth until the final day of the season and lost six straight games before rallying to win four of five heading into the playoffs.

But through two games, the Caps simply look outmatched.

More troublesome is the fact that Ovechkin has endured a rough start to this series.

Through 38:47 of ice time over two games, Ovechkin has no points and just one shot-on-goal. It's been an oddly quiet pair of contests for the NHL's second all-time leading goalscorer, who found the net 31 times and dished 34 assists in his 19th season.

Ovechkin went pointless against New York in his two regular season games against the Rangers, but he still registered four shots per game. That also makes his quiet outings all the more puzzling as the Capitals now find themselves two losses away from elimination.

The legend is obviously capable of much better play, and perhaps a series shift to Washington leads to a change. But for now, it's been a rough go for Ovechkin, and fans have taken notice:

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will take place on Friday in Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. ET.