If you expected the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers to play a very physical series in their first-round matchup, they proved your prediction right in Game 2.
It took both teams a game and a half, and there was no actual fight on the ice, but the tension increased when Capitals’ forward T.J. Oshie and Rangers winger Artemi Panarin clashed at different points during the game played on Tuesday, April 23.
The former started things and the latter responded, leading to a series of exchanges on and off the ice during and after Game 2, which ended in a 4-3 victory for the Rangers (2-0 in the series).
In the second period, Capitals’ Oshie escaped penalty from the referees after an action that could have resulted in a high-sticking penalty as he hit Panarin in the face from behind.
The game continued without Oshie going to the penalty box and no other major altercations through the second period.
Later in the game, in the third and final frame, Panarin got his revenge on Oshie by hitting him on the head with a shoulder, knocking him out of the game, and sending him to the locker room with the help of concussion spotters.
Panarin’s hit was reviewed by the referees on the ice but they couldn’t find a reason to call a major penalty on the Rangers forward.
Tensions Rose in Game 2 Between Capitals & Rangers
Although Oshie and Panarin exchanged hits on each other, one with the stick and the other with a shoulder to the head, neither of them were punished for their actions.
Instead, it was Capitals’ Connor McMichael who received a minor penalty for roughing as he went after Panarin following his hit on Oshie.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters after the game that he was confused by the calls on those actions, and other Washington players joined him in criticizing the way the referees have operated through the first two games of the series.
“They said it wasn’t a minor penalty,” Carbery told reporters after the game on April 23. “(It) was the only explanation I got. I asked a few follow-up questions with regards to leaving feet, point of contact, and the one thing that’s tricky is the spotter removed [Oshie].
“We watch a video at the beginning of the year of what they’re looking for for concussion symptoms or a hit and who needs to be removed. To me, when the spotter removes him, there has to be some kind of contact with the head.
“So that’s where I was a little bit confused on him being removed by the spotters and then no minor penalty on the ice.”
After reviewing Panarin’s play, however, the referees explained the hit saying “there was head contact on the play,” but adding that the head was “not main point of contact,” according to Scouting The Refs.
Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson, who has engaged in some off-ice, in-the-distance exchange with Rangers’ Matt Rempe, acknowledged he “didn’t see” Panarin’s no-call hit but discussed it after the game.
“It’s one of those things that looks like he’s going after him a little bit,” Wilson said, via Sammi Silber from The Hockey News. “Osh is in a vulnerable position and he hits him high. I'm not sure if he hits him in the head; I haven't seen it.
“Everyone stands up in those situations. He definitely went after him. That's playoff hockey and you're going to get hit and give hits. I think Osh is okay, so that's the main thing.”
Wilson also believes the referees were more focused on penalties related to stick infractions rather than physical, body-on-body plays.
“It appeared that tonight there were more stick penalties being called. They were letting a lot of the other things go, but they were calling anything with the stick,” Wilson stated, per Greg Wyshynski. “It's challenging. You have different referees every game, you don't know what will be called and what won't, but it's playoff hockey.”
Rangers Acknowledge They Anticipated Physical Play
Some Rangers players discussed Game 2 and the physical nature exhibited by both teams in the second game of their first-round series.
“It was messy a lot of the time, Jacob Trouba informed reporters in his postgame press conference on April 23. “There were some good plays out there, but overall, it was mucky, chipping the puck out and in, and more of a grind.
“It seemed to have more of a playoff atmosphere.”
Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette stated that he envisioned the type of game that was played before the puck dropped on Tuesday evening.
“This morning someone asked me what I expected and I said I expected that tonight,” Laviolette shared after the game. “The way it played out, physical and with some attitude within the game.
“I thought our guys responded pretty well. It was a hard-fought game.”
The Rangers triumphed over the Capitals 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series as the matchup moves to Washington for Game 3 and Game 4, set for Friday (April 26) and Sunday (April 28).
