Washington, DC

Mike Green buried a power-play goal in overtime to carry the Washington Capitals to a 1-0 victory over the New York Rangers Saturday and a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal showdown at Verizon Center.

"I was just the lucky one tonight," said Green, who got a pass from Mike Ribeiro before hitting the puck past Henrik Lundqvist's glove side eight minutes into overtime for the game-winning goal.

"Our plan most of the time in overtime is to get it in Green's hands," said goaltender Braden Holtby. "He's a money player like that and he did it again."

Holtby tallied his first playoff career shutout, stopping 24 shots for the Capitals, who can take a 3-0 lead Monday when the series shifts to Madison Square Garden.

"For such a young guy, he's so composed and he holds his head up high in the net," Green said of Holtby. "His confidence is what kind of leads throughout the rest of the team."

Lundqvist finished with 37 saves, 25 in the game's first 40 minutes, for the Rangers, who almost won it with 3:44 left in regulation but Rick Nash's shot hit the left post.

However, Troy Brouwer slashed Nash as he went past him, setting the Rangers up for a power play that did not go well.

Washington killed it off by clearing the puck down the ice four times. The Rangers didn't get a shot on goal during the entire two-minute man-advantage.

The Rangers got another power play 1:51 into overtime when Steve Oleksy was called for delay of game, shooting the puck over the glass from inside the defensive zone.

However, the Capitals killed that off, too, leaving New York's power play 0-for-3 in the game and 0-for-7 in the series.

The Capitals also had several chances to put points on the board in regulation but Nicklas Backstrom's one-timer went just wide of the left post.

Earlier in the second, Alex Ovechkin set up Marcus Johansson but the latter hesitated before shooting, giving Lundqvist time to get in position to disrupt the shot.

 

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Mike Green Overtime Goal Lifts Caps Over Rangers in Game 2