Rangers Vs. Bruins Game 1 Recap: Panic In Overtime Costs Rangers Game 1

The New York Rangers came up empty handed tonight as they lost yet another game in overtime, which now has them down 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Henrik Lundqvist was good tonight, but it didn't appear as if he was completely locked in. The first goal was a weak one, and it is definitely one that he will want back later on in this series.

I thought Rick Nash looked outstanding tonight after he was completely invisible for the latter part of the series against the Washington Capitals. The Rangers also didn't play bad at all throughout regulation, in fact they played pretty darn well up until overtime came around. For some reason, the Rangers weren't able to regroup after the Bruins power play in overtime, and looked like they were playing scared which led to some sloppy, sloppy hockey.

The Boston Bruins were able to get on the board first tonight with a goal coming from big Zdeno Chara. Chara unleashed a bomb from the point, and Lundqvist didn't appear to get all of his blocker on the initial shot. Lundqvist started to look behind him just as the puck fell into the crease, and he wound up knocking it into his own net. The goal was completely unlike Henrik Lundqvist, and just like that it was 1-0 Bruins.

Luckily for the Rangers, they got a little puck luck very late in the period as Ryan McDonagh's last second point shot had eyes, and just squeezed under the crossbar for the tying goal. It was a huge goal for the Rangers, and it was a big way to close out the second period on the road. The Rangers carried over that late pressure, and came away with their first lead of the evening, as Derek Stepan converted just 14 seconds into the third period to make it 2-1 Rangers. Carl Hagelin creates this goal with his speed, and quickly dishes off the puck to Stepan who is cutting down the middle of the ice.

But, within a minute of the go ahead goal, Steve Eminger took a very undisciplined penalty which sent the Bruins to their second power play of the game. With a few ticks left on the power play, Torey Krug bombed a slap shot from the point, and it wound up slipped right under the arm of Lundqvist to tie up the game at two. Both teams would be held scoreless for the rest of the third period, and this game would head into the dreaded overtime period.

The Rangers started off overtime sitting back on their heels a little bit, and Derek Dorsett was eventually forced into taking an interference penalty. Even though Dorsett took the penalty, he basically had no choice because Steve Eminger made the bad decision to pinch in just as the Bruins were clearing the zone. Eminger basically left Dorsett flatfooted at the blue line, and it was actually a good penalty to prevent a potential odd-man rush back the other way.

But from that point on, the Bruins just took over the game. You could almost sense a goal coming on the power play, but the Rangers were lucky enough to weather the storm. With just under five minutes remaining, the Rangers had a golden opportunity with a 3-on-2 rush back the other way, with Derick Brassard attempting to find Rick Nash right in the slot. The eventual pass was off the mark, and Ryan McDonagh was caught pinching in which caused a 2-on-1 back the other.

Mats Zuccarello did basically everything that he could possibly do in order to catch up to Brad Marchand, but he wasn't able to get his stick on the cross-ice feed from Patrice Bergeron. It was just a perfectly placed pass from Bergeron, and Marchand tapped the overtime winner through the legs of Henrik Lundqvist and put the game away for the Bruins.

As frustrating as that loss was, it's only one game of many to come. The Rangers have a great opportunity to go out there and even up this series on Sunday.

Believe.