Rangers vs. Capitals: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 NHL Playoffs

In a pressure-packed postseason game featuring Alexander Ovechkin, Henrik Lundqvist and Rick Nash, Andre Burakovsky was the star.

The Washington Capitals left winger scored both of his team's goals in a critical 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday night at the Verizon Center. The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy this year, but it is Washington with a commanding 3-1 lead and all of the momentum in this matchup.

Burakovsky was the playmaker in the offensive zone, but Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby deserves plenty of credit as well. He stopped 28 of 29 shots for a sparkling .966 save percentage and outdueled Lundqvist in what was essentially a must-win game for the desperate Rangers.

Every showdown thus far in this series ended with a one-goal deficit, and Wednesday's contest fit the nail-biter bill perfectly.

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Neither team scored in the first period, which was a testament to the excellent play of Lundqvist and Holtby. Holtby in particular excelled under pressure as the Rangers controlled the pace of the opening 20 minutes and missed a number of opportunities.

Mike Vogel of WashingtonCaps.com suggested the Capitals were rather fortunate to escape the first period tied, and Katie Strang of ESPN echoed the frustrations from the Rangers' perspective:

Despite Holtby's first-period brilliance, the Rangers' Derick Brassard broke the scoreless tie with less than 14 minutes remaining in the second period on a golden opportunity off a two-on-one break. It was a much-needed goal for an offense that struggled to convert on most of its chances in this series.

ESPN Stats & Info put New York's struggles into statistical context:

Washington missed a chance to answer with a power play in the middle of the second period. Vogel pointed out that the passing was to blame:

The Capitals didn't miss their next opportunity. New York coughed up the puck in the defensive zone with less than four minutes remaining in the second period, and Burakovsky buried it in the back of the net to tie the game 1-1. Zac Boyer of The Washington Times noted that the crowd understood the magnitude of the goal:

Perhaps more importantly, New York looked timid after the goal and the crowd's reaction, per Andrew Gross of The Record:

The nerves were understandable in this near must-win game. Lundqvist suggested as much, per Larry Brooks of the New York Post: “You trust your preparation, you don’t change the way you approach the game. But in the back of your mind you know it’s going to be the most important game we’ve played all year.”

The Capitals didn't waste much time taking advantage of any New York nerves, and Burakovsky scored a mere 24 seconds into the third period. Strang praised Burakovsky's performance, and Gross pointed out that this was not business as usual for the Washington left winger in these playoffs:

New York nearly tied the game a few minutes later when Carl Hagelin broke free and earned a penalty shot. Alex Prewitt of The Washington Post described the action, and Strang pointed out that defender Mike Green was probably more relieved than anyone in the Washington crowd when Holtby stifled the penalty chance:

The Capitals parlayed the momentum boost from the penalty stop to the other end of the ice and had a number of opportunities to push the lead to 3-1. Naturally, Lundqvist had other ideas, and Gross noted that only one Washington player stood in the way of Lundqvist and a brilliant performance:

The dueling showings from the two goalies continued throughout the middle portion of the third period, which set the stage for a dramatic finish. Sean Hartnett of WFAN Sports Radio described New York's frame of mind heading into the final minutes: 

The game became even tenser when New York pulled Lundqvist for an extra attacker with less than 90 seconds remaining. Despite the one-man advantage in the final minute, New York never even managed a legitimate scoring chance or shot on goal, and the Capitals seized a monumental 3-1 lead in the series.

Holtby was unbeatable in net the entire game, the defense did its job in those tense final minutes and Burakovsky generated just enough offense to come away with the win.

What's Next?

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Game 5 in this series is Friday back in New York, and it now truly is a must-win contest for the Rangers.

Home-ice advantage will certainly help, but the Capitals already went into New York and walked away with a victory in Game 1. Outside of a hiccup in the second game when the Rangers scored three times, Holtby has been a dominant force between the pipes, and there is no reason to expect anything different just because the series shifts back to the Big Apple.

Perhaps the scariest thing for the Rangers is the fact that Ovechkin has been fairly quiet in this series (two goals), and the Capitals are still ahead 3-1. Washington is one vintage Ovechkin performance or one more impressive Holtby showing away from the Eastern Conference Final.