This was the ninth playoff meeting for these teams, and their fifth in the last seven years; the teams have split their eight previous playoff series. Their most recent meeting was in the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, which New York won in seven games. New York won three of the four games in this year's regular season series. The Rangers overcame a 1–3 series deficit to eliminate the Capitals in seven games. Joel Ward scored with 1.3 seconds left to give Washington a 2–1 win in Game 1. The Rangers took Game 2, 3–2, as Chris Kreider and Dan Boyle recorded first-period goals and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 30 out of 32 shots. In Game 3, Braden Holtby stopped all of the Rangers' 30 shots, and Jay Beagle's second-period goal helped give the Capitals a 1–0 win. Holtby then made 29 out of 30 saves in Game 4, while rookie Andre Burakovsky scored his first two postseason goals in a 2–1 victory for Washington. In Game 5, the Capitals appeared to have scored the icebreaker with 2-09 left in the second period when Matt Niskanen's shot went past Lundqvist, but officials waved off the goal and ruled that Ward interfered with the Rangers goalie. Curtis Glencross would later score the icebreaker for Washington at 10-54 of the third period. But Kreider scored with 1-41 remaining in regulation to tie the game, 1–1, then Ryan McDonagh won it at 9-37 into overtime to give the Rangers a 2–1 victory. Game 6 saw Kreider score two first-period goals to help the Rangers build a 4–1 lead in the third period before holding off a late comeback by the Capitals to win 4–3. Then in Game 7, Derek Stepan scored at 11-24 into overtime on a set play off the faceoff to give the Rangers a 2–1 victory and the 4–3 series win to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in as many years. This was also the second consecutive playoffs in which the Rangers were able to overcome a 3-1 series deficit, an NHL first. As well, this was only the second time the Rangers overcame a 3–1 series deficit in franchise history. The loss became the sixth time the Capitals blew a 3-1 series lead, most among NHL teams.

• published: 11 Jun 2015
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