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NEW YORK -- In a game that was decided by a few costly mistakes, the New York Rangers found themselves down a man after taking two consecutive penalties in the third period. They ended up falling 3-2 to the Washington Capitals as a result.

After a pivotal penalty kill on Brian Boyle's holding-the-stick infraction midway through the third, the Rangers' momentum was quickly erased when they went down a man 36 seconds later.

Brad Richards was whistled on a borderline holding penalty at 12:29 of the third and it took the Capitals only four seconds to Capital-ize.

Limited to a mere 9:14 in the first two periods of play, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin responded by ripping a blistering wrist shot through traffic to snap a 2-2 draw and beat Henrik Lundqvist for his first goal in three games.

The clinching goal, which ultimately tied the series 1-1, sapped the life out of the Madison Square Garden crowd and Ovechkin took pleasure in rubbing it in. Ever the showman, he raised his hand to his ear in response to the fans' merciless taunts through the first two games of the series.

"You battle back as hard as we did and you can't take four minutes in penalties late," a fire-breathing and visibly annoyed John Tortorella said after the game.

Richards said the contact he made with John Carlson on the play was more "reactionary" than anything, but took culpability, regardless.

"We just killed a big one, so [I] can't take another one," he said.

It was the first man-up goal surrendered by a superior Rangers penalty-kill that had thwarted six straight Capitals power-play attempts through the first two games of the series.

"It's tough," said Lundqvist, who gave up three goals on 25 shots. "We killed off that [Boyle] penalty and went back on the PK again. They are a skilled team. If you give them enough chances on their power-play, they're gong to hurt us."

Now heading to Washington for Game 3 with the series tied 1-1, the Rangers find themselves in the exact same situation they were in just two weeks ago against the Ottawa Senators.

"It's going to be tough, that's for sure," Lundqvist said. "They're a good team and we're not expecting this to be easy at all. It's going to be a challenge to go into their building and try to get a couple of wins."

Captain Ryan Callahan, who along with Richards scored one of the teams' two goals, said the team needs to elevate the intensity as they take the series on the road.

"We have to grate more," he said. "It's a matter of trying to win every battle. They came out hard, but we have a good group in here. We have to go into Washington now and try to get Game 3."

NEW YORK -- Alexander Ovechkin put his glove to his ear.

The boos from the stunned sellout crowd at the Garden never sounded so good.

Ovechkin, who endured chants "Ovie sucks!" with eight minutes remaining in each period -- in "honor" of his No. 8 -- scored the game-winning power-play goal with 7:27 left in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night, giving the Washington Capitals a crucial 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

It was his 28th career playoff marker in 46 games.

The best-of-seven series is tied at 1-1. Game 3 is Wednesday night at Verizon Center.

"It's the fans. I love it," said Ovechkin, who logged just 13 minutes, 36 seconds of ice time but made the most of it, ripping seven shots on goal during his 18 shifts.

"The fans go [to MSG] to cheer the Rangers, and [Wednesday's] game is gonna probably be the same in Washington."

Just four seconds after Brad Richards was penalized for holding, Ovechkin unleashed a quick wrist shot from the top of the point following Nicklas Backstrom's faceoff win.

"First I saw it, then I didn't see it, then I saw it," said Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who was screened on the play. "It was a hard shot. It was a good shot. Unfortunately, someone got tied up and he got a free lane. It's the wrong guy to give that opportunity."

Just like that, Ovie had finally made his mark.

"I was shocked when I turned and I didn't see anybody coming to me and I had a perfect lane for a shot," he said. "When I see that, I'm gonna put it in."

In the first two periods, Ovechkin played just 9 minutes, 14 seconds. Lundqvist had robbed him on the left post in the opening frame. And in the second, Ovechkin’s shot trickled by the Hart and Vezina Trophy finalist -- just not over the goal line.

But Ovechkin stuck with it -- even after Lundqvist had stopped two of his shots from the left circle on Washington's previous man-advantage in the third -- and made the most of his opportunity when it counted the most.

"You have to suck it up and use the time that [coach Dale Hunter] gives me," Ovechkin said.

"Sometimes when you're not out there you feel like you're not in the game. But if you have a 10-second shift or a five-second shift, you have to go out there and do something. It's kind of hard but it is what it is."

During the regular season, Ovechkin ranked fifth in the Capitals in average ice time (19 minutes, 48 seconds). The 26-year-old has scored 50 or more goals four times in his career. Just two years ago, he was considered arguably the most complete player in the world.

Reduced ice time couldn't have been easy to stomach.

"He's a team guy and one thing about that is it leaves him fresh," said Hunter, who added that he wanted to roll all four of his lines.

So how does Ovechkin earn more time?

"Just score goals and play safely. When you play safely you help your team and earn trust," he replied.

Ovechkin scored all right. And it couldn't have come at a bigger time.

Nothing quite like quieting 18,200, is there?

"It's always emotional when you score goals," Ovechkin said. "I was just having fun."

Said Hunter: "He loves it. When the crowd's on you there's a reason for it, and that means you're playing well."

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: With one single play, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin managed to climb his way out of coach Dale Hunter's doghouse and silence the Madison Square Garden crowd.

After being limited to a mere 3:33 in the first period, Ovechkin made his presence felt with the go-ahead goal with 7:27 to play in the third to give Washington a 3-2 win against the New York Rangers and tie the series 1-1 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Off the draw, Ovechkin ripped a blistering wrist shot through traffic for a power-play marker that snapped his two-game goal drought.

After scoring, Ovechkin raised his hand to his ear in response to the crowd's taunts through the first two games of the series.

All tied up: Trailing 2-1 in the third, the Rangers tied the score with their first power-play goal in three games. With Washington's Mike Knuble in the box serving a high-sticking penalty, New York tallied the equalizer off Michael Del Zotto's blast from the point. Rangers captain Ryan Callahan was credited with the goal, which appeared to first glance off John Carlson's stick, at 6:58 of the third.

Boyle is back: Brian Boyle returned for the Rangers after missing three straight games with a concussion suffered in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Saturday. Boyle centered the team’s third line between wingers Ruslan Fedotenko and Brandon Prust.

Bad turnover for Bickel: Defenseman Stu Bickel's turnover in the first period proved costly, as the Capitals, well, Capital-ized. After Bickel coughed the puck up along the boards, Washington executed a nice tic-tac-toe passing play to set up Knuble at the right post for a 1-0 Caps lead at 12:20 of the first.

Gaborik gets involved: Making perhaps his best play of the postseason, struggling sniper Marian Gaborik faked a shot before dishing off to Brad Richards in front for a goal that cut the Caps' lead in half, 2-1 with 42.4 seconds remaining in the first. Although he has recorded assists in two consecutive contests, Gaborik has been held without a goal for eight straight games.

At a glance: The Rangers took a 1-0 series lead with a win over the Capitals in Game 1, but Washington has since vowed to be better. Both teams enter Monday’s contest at Madison Square Garden after a tight-checking, defensive-minded series opener and expect more of the same as the semifinals match-up continues in Game 2.

Boyle game-time decision: Rangers forward Brian Boyle, who has missed the past three games with a concussion, was uncertain about whether he will play in Monday’s match at Madison Square Garden. The 6-foot-6 center said he had “no idea” if he will be available to play and will wait until later Monday afternoon before deciding if he is ready.

Dubinsky out: The news was not so good for Brandon Dubinsky, however. The 26-year-old forward, who appeared to suffer a leg injury in Game 7 against the Senators on Thursday, will miss his second straight game. Defenseman Steve Eminger, who played forward for the first time in his career on Saturday, could replace him in the lineup again. Hulking enforcer John Scott also may make his 2012 playoffs debut.

Jack Adams nod: Rangers coach John Tortorella joins St. Louis’ Ken Hitchock and Ottawa’s Paul MacLean as one of three finalists for this year’s Jack Adams award. This is his third nomination for the award, given out each year to the league’s best coach as voted by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association. Tortorella won in 2004, the same season in which his Tampa Bay Lightning squad won the Stanley Cup, and finished second in voting the previous year in 2003.

Semin demotion: After a brutal Game 1 in which he took two bone-headed stick penalties, Capitals winger Alexander Semin was demoted to the fourth line in practice on Sunday. Caps coach Dale Hunter denied he was sending a message (“Oh, just switching the lines around” he said after Monday’s morning skate) but the 28-year-old forward appears to be in the dog house after Saturday’s disappointing performance.

Ovie outlook: Alex Ovechkin was good-natured about the taunts that welcomed him to Madison Square Garden Saturday, but he might become a little surlier should his drought continue. The superstar forward was held off the scoresheet in Game 1 and limited to only one shot on goal.

Ch-Ch-Changes: Washington’s Jeff Schultz returns to the line for the Capitals after being scratched on Saturday.

Veteran forward Mike Knuble said there was a consensus in the Caps' dressing room after Game 1's 3-1 loss to the Rangers.

"I think we all agree that we have more to offer, more skill to show, more shots to [get to] the net. We've got better," he said.

After pulling out an upset against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Capitals need to elevate their game in Round 2 against the top-seeded Rangers.

"We all know that that's not good enough. It's the second round. It's not the first round," Knuble said. "Everyone talks about a little sigh of relief, because it's tough to get out of the first round, but they got out of it and we got out of it, which means we're all doing a bunch of things right. So the margin for error gets smaller and the intesity level has got to go up."

One area the Capitals would like to be better? Discipline. Alexander Semin alone took half of the team's four penalties and his two bone-headed stick infractions appears to have earned him a demotion to Washington's fourth line.

"In the first round against Boston, a big key for us was not taking penalties, not giving them those easy opportunities on the power-play," said Brooks Laich. "We took three penalties that were away from our net [on Saturday], 150 feet away from the net, that weren't preventing a goal. That puts you back on your heels."

After leading his team to 51 wins and the Eastern Conference title in the regular season, Rangers coach John Tortorella was named as one of three Jack Adams finalists.

Tortorella joins St. Louis' Ken Hitchcock and Ottawa's Paul MacLean as fellow nominees for the award, given out each year to the league's best coach.

Heading into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the top-seeded Rangers expressed their support of the man that helped get them there with his fiery attitude and straight-forward coaching style.

"I think he deserves it," said forward Marian Gaborik. "When he became the coach, he gave us a system and everyone seems to be buying into it right now. He's very demanding -- he tries to squeeze the maximum out of his players -- and it has seemed to work. Especially this year."

Gritty center Brian Boyle said Tortorella can be "stern" in delivering his message, but is adept at communicating to each player their role on the team and what is expected.

"He's helped me a lot, obviously. He turned me into an NHL player," said Boyle. "Very deserving."

Veteran Mike Rupp said Tortorella reminds him of former Devils coach Pat Burns. Both coaches know how to handle the high's and low's of a season and treat the players accordingly. That has helped establish a high standard of play for a grinding, physical Rangers squad that has overachieved already this season.

"That's a good read by a coach," Rupp said of Tortorella's ability to manage the team's psyche throughout the course of the season. "Our team never gets complacent, and that's important."

This is Tortorella's third Jack Adams nomination. He finished second in voting in 2003 and won the following year in 2004, when his Tampa Bay Lightning team won a Stanley Cup Championship. The winner, as voted by the NHL Broadcasters' Association, will be announced at the NHL Awards show this June.

Injured forward Brian Boyle continues to make progress toward a return from concussion.

The 6-foot-6 center took part in the Rangers' optional practice Sunday in Westchester, his third straight day of skating since sustaining the head injury in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Boyle would not nail down a timeline, but said he has improved with each day.

"You can't really predict what's going to happen, so I'm trying to be honest with myself every day and it's been getting better every day," Boyle said. "I know it's boring, but we'll see how it feels tomorrow."

The Rangers have played the last three games without Boyle, although it is possible he could be available for Game 2 on Monday. Boyle said he has experienced no setbacks since resuming physical activity and is optimistic about returning soon.

"I want to get back out there," Boyle said. "It's just tough. What's smart and the right thing to do and what you want to do don't always match up. I'm optimistic, to hopefully get back soon."

There appears to be less optimism, however, regarding the status of Brandon Dubinsky. The 26-year-old forward, who was sidelined in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Caps with a lower-body injury, did not practice Sunday. He is unlikely to play in Game 2.

The loss of Boyle and Dubinsky -- both of whom are key faceoff men -- has put more pressure on the team from the circles. Top center Brad Richards was forced to take 24 of the team's 50 draws (he won 12) while 21-year-old pivot Derek Stepan took 14 (he won 7). Against the Capitals in Game 1, the Rangers finished with a 52% percentage from the face-off circle -- an area that will likely be a key factor in a tight series with an emphasis on puck possession.

"Obviously there needs to be a concentration. It's a very good faceoff
team that Washington has," said coach John Tortorella. "I think it was a heightened concentration when you don't have Dubi and Brian Boyle out there. For the most part, I thought we did a pretty good job."

Of the eight teams remaining in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, only the Devils have a lower faceoff percentage. The Rangers are 46.3% from the faceoff circle while Washington has posted a 50.8% through eight games.

With all the game-planning the series will require, faceoffs may not get the necessary attention from the team's coaching staff. Tortorella said he'd like to see players take it upon themselves to improve.

"We try to do it, but there are just too many different things you need to cover during the year," he said. "That's when a player needs to take a little onus on his own and get some work at it."

Last year's Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins team posted an impressive 52.0% faceoff percentage in 25 games

According to reports from Capitals practice at Madison Square Garden Sunday, Alexander Semin has been demoted to the team's fourth line.

The 28-year-old winger skated on a line with veteran Mike Knuble and center Keith Aucoin following a rough Game 1 performance on Saturday night.

Semin took two boneheaded penalties in the Caps' 3-1 loss to the Rangers -- a slashing penalty in the first and a tripping penalty in the third.

Caps coach Dale Hunter sending a message?

According to NHL.com's Dave Lozo, Hunter replied: "Nope, just mixing the lines up."

Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin sounded confident with his opportunities in Game 1 despite being held off the scoresheet. Rangers' shutdown pair Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi limited the Russian superstar to only one shot on goal, although he said he had more room to operate compared to the Capitals' first-round series against the Bruins.

"I had more time and space than when we played against Boston, 100 percent," Ovechkin told reporters. "My line has to be better in the neutral zone to create opportunities for me and Brooksie and Brouwer."

Knocking off the Senators fans' laudatory chant for captain Daniel Alfredsson, the crowd at Madison Square Garden serenaded Caps star Alex Ovechkin with a more, um, unsavory variation, taunting the Not-So-Great No. 8 at the eight-minute mark of each period.

Rangers fans certainly did their part in harassing him from the stands, but the team’s steady shutdown pair of defensemen, Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi, deserved much of the credit for stifling him on the ice.

The trustworthy tandem held the Russian dynamo off the scoresheet and limited him to one solitary shot on goal. Ovechkin finished Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals with a minus-1 rating over 21:03 of ice time in the Capitals' 3-1 loss.

"They've been there all year. It's not a surprise," Rangers alternate captain Brad Richards said. "We almost expect them to be as good as they are every night. That's the great thing about having them."

Ovechkin, a the three-time 50-goal scorer, had five points (two goals, three assists) in four regular-season games against the Rangers this year, but was frustrated in his first postseason meeting of 2012. Solving Ovechkin wasn't an easy task the last time the teams' met, either. The 26-year-old had six points (three goals, three assists) in the five games it took the Caps to bounce the Rangers from the first round of the playoffs last season.

"He likes to get speed. If we can keep the gap up against him, it allows him to maybe dump it before he gains that blue line. That's the goal," said McDonagh, who registered three of the team's four shots on goal in the first period and recorded an assist on Artem Anisimov's second-period marker. "You're not going to completely take the puck out of his hands, but if you keep him to the outside, [goaltender Henrik Lundqvist] can make those saves nine times out of 10."

"We talked about how they changed their style a little bit; they're not as run-and-gun anymore," said McDonagh. "They focus on blocking shots and defending in their own zone. We knew it was going to be a tight-checking game and that plays right into our system."

The Rangers anticipated a tight, defensive game from their Caps counterparts heading into Round 2 and that's what they got. Neutralizing the team's stars like Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and offensive defenseman Mike Green will be a challenge for the team, but one they have proven capable of handling.

McDonagh and Girardi finished with three blocked shots combined and 25:04 and 24:38 in ice time, respectively.

"They were good," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "They spent a lot of time on the ice. That's their job and they do it complete mostly every night."

Recap | Box score | Photos

What it means: 20-year-old Chris Kreider tallied his second game-winning goal in three games and finished with his first multi-point performance of his young NHL career as he led the Rangers to a 3-1 win over the Caps in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The game started out slow, but the Rangers turned it on midway through the third period with two goals that ignited the restless crowd at Madison Square Garden and gave the team a 1-0 lead in the series. Kreider snapped a 1-1 tie at the 7-minute mark of the third and set up Brad Richards' insurance goal 90 seconds later. Rounding out a big effort from the Rangers' young guns, second-year center Derek Stepan also recorded his fifth point in three games with the primary assist on Kreider's second goal of the playoffs.

Not-so-great Number 8: Invisible in the first game of the series, Alex Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet and taunted by the New York crowd. In a timed chant picked up from Senators fans last series, the Blueshirts faithful jeered the Russian star beginning at the eight minute mark of each series. Ovechkin has been limited to five points over the past eight games.

All tied up: Brooks Laich executed a perfectly-placed saucer pass to find Jason Chimera in front with less than four seconds remaining in the second period. Chimera buried the puck to convert on the 2-on-1 rush and tie the game heading into the second intermission.

A-OK: Artem Anisimov snapped a scoreless tie with 7:22 to play in the second, burying a wraparound attempt to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead at 12:38.

Scoreless first: Compared the frantic pace of Thursday’s Game 7 at the Garden, the opening frame of the second round seemed a little subdued. Both the Rangers and Capitals combined for only ten shots total in a scoreless period. Of the Rangers’ four first-period shots, none came from forwards: defenseman Ryan McDonagh had three while fellow blue-liner Marc Staal registered the other.

Boyle, Dubinsky out: The Rangers were without injured forwards Brian Boyle (concussion) and Brandon Dubinsky (leg) Saturday. Boyle, who returned to practice with the team Friday, has not played since Game 5 of the quarterfinals. Dubinsky appeared to suffer the injury in Game 7 against the Senators on Thursday. Coach John Tortorella said there was “no update” on either player.

Eminger up front: With the Rangers missing two forwards, defenseman Steve Eminger returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering an ankle injury on March 15. The 28-year-old was used as a forward, however. He skated on the right wing with center John Mitchell and Mike Rupp.

Up Next: Rangers vs. Caps, Monday at 7:30 p.m.

At a glance: No rest for the weary. Both the Rangers and Capitals are coming off first-round series’ that required seven games. It’ll be an especially quick turnaround for the Rangers, who knocked off the eighth-seeded Senators less than 48 hours ago. In Saturday’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden, they’ll host a Washington squad that pulled off one of the biggest first-round upset with their defeat of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. And don’t think the Rangers have forgotten: the Capitals have bounced them from the playoffs in their past two post-season appearances in 2011 and 2009.

Shrouded in secrecy: Both Brian Boyle (concussion) and Brandon Dubinsky (leg) are questionable for Saturday’s matinee. Coach John Tortorella had no interest in discussing their status, either. When asked three different times about the two forwards’ availability, Tortorella responded with the same refrain each time: “no updates.”

Get Gaborik going: The spotlight is on forward Marian Gaborik, who all but disappeared for the Rangers in the first round. Limited to one goal and two assists in seven games, Gaborik needs to do more for the Rangers to advance. If he doesn’t, don’t be surprised to see his ice time restricted. Tortorella has already hinted that he’s willing to sit anyone that doesn’t perform.

O-factor: Washington’s Alex Ovechkin did not live up to his star status in Round 1 for the Capitals. With Dale Hunter limiting his ice time – he played only 16:25 in Game 7 against the Bruins – Ovechkin was held to two goals and three assists in the quarterfinals. The Rangers can’t ignore the Capitals’ entire cast of stars, however. Washington is 11-1-0 when they have Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green all in their lineup.

Rookie reigns supreme: Rookie Chris Kreider, who left Boston College to sign with the Rangers just days before the playoffs began, is coming off his best NHL game yet in Game 7 against the Senators. The 20-year-old winger’s play wasn’t reflected on the scoresheeet, but he helped set up the team’s crucial first goal. He also was used by Tortorella on the power-play and in a key defensive situation in the last minute of the game. Expect to see his role increase in the second round.

Could Rangers' center Brian Boyle be available for Game 1 against Washington on Saturday.

After missing the last two games of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals with a concussion, the 6-6 forward returned to Rangers practice Friday, a good sign that he is making progress.

Boyle was forced from Game 5 with the head injury, sustained on a hard hit from Ottawa's Chris Neil. Although it was a worrisome loss for the Rangers -- Boyle had tallied three goals in the first three games of the series -- the team received key contributions from rookies Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider in his absence.

Brandon Dubinsky, who appeared to suffer a lower-body injury in the third period, did not practice with the team.

Another day, another nomination for star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Less than a day after leading his first-place Rangers team past the eighth-seeded Senators in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the 30-year-old netminder was named as one of three finalists for the NHL's Hart Trophy. The trophy, voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, is awarded to the player deemed "most valuable" to his team.

Lundqvist joins fellow Hart candidates Evgeni Malkin (PIT) and Steven Stamkos (TBL), but is the only nominee with his team still standing in the playoffs. The Rangers take on the Capitals in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Saturday.

"I'm really happy and honored and proud to be in that selection," Lundqvist said after Friday's practice.

Heralding what has been a career season for the steady Swede, Lundqvist was also nominated for the NHL's Vezina Trophy earlier this week. He set career-highs in wins (39), save percentage (.930) and goals against average (1.97), and was among the tops in the league in all three categories. Lundqvist also had eight shutouts while leading his Rangers squad to capture both the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division title.

"It's fantastic. You don't see that often, a goaltender int hat position," coach John Tortorella said of the Hart nomination. "I'm not too interested in talking a lot about awards and stuff like that, but for this guy here and what he has done for the hockey club, he belongs there. "

Both the Hart and Vezina Trophies will be announced at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas in June.

Eastern Conference Semifinals Schedule:

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012 3:00 P.M. WASHINGTON AT NY RANGERS NBC, CBC

MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2012 7:30 P.M. WASHINGTON AT NY RANGERS NBCSN, CBC

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012 7:30 P.M. NY RANGERS AT WASHINGTON NBCSN, CBC

SATURDAY, MAY 5, 2012 12:30 P.M. NY RANGERS AT WASHINGTON NBC, CBC

*MONDAY, MAY 7, 2012 7:30 P.M. WASHINGTON AT NY RANGERS
NBCSN, CBC

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012 TBD NY RANGERS AT WASHINGTON
TBD, CBC

*SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2012 TBD WASHINGTON AT NY RANGERS TBD
CBC

Chris Kreider wasn't the only youngster to step up for the Rangers in the team's 2-1 win over the Senators in Game 7 Thursday night. Derek Stepan contributed another impressive performance to cap off a first-round series that started off slow for the 21-year-old center.

Following up on Kreider's terrific play to force a Senators turnover, Stepan made a beautiful pass to find Marc Staal at the left circle and set up the team's crucial first goal at 4:46 of the second.

With the assist, Stepan recorded his fourth point in two games. The second-year pivot finished with a goal and two assists in the Rangers' 3-2 win Monday in Ottawa to avoid elimination and bring the series back home to New York.

"It took him a little while but he has played three good games here now," coach John Tortorella said. "That was very important for us. To have a chance we need someone to get going and it was weighing on him, but he found a way."

With Marian Gaborik disappearing for most of the series, the emergence of Stepan in the latter half has been all the more vital.

Stepan struggled in the first four games of the best-of-seven set against the Senators. But after being held off the scoresheet and demoted to the fourth line, he turned the corner in Game 5.

"I think that was a key point for me in my short playoff career," he said. "I felt Game 5, I was over the puck more. That was a big stepping stone for me as a player."

Stepan earned back Tortorella's trust with that improvement and centered the team's most effective line in the series finale between Kreider and captain Ryan Callahan.

"I really feel he willed himself to get his game going," Tortorella said. "It certainly was very important. That was a great line for us, him, Kreider and Cally."

After 10 straight playoff games without a point, Stepan can take some confidence for himself and the team into Round 2 when they face the Capitals in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"It's a good accomplishment," he said. "It was a good test for us. We don't want to get too high on it, but we want to know we did a good job and learn from it and try to refocus and get ourselves ready for Round 2."