Another morning after a playoff win at MSG makes for a celebratory commute to work. Tuesday night, it was the Rangers turn to hold serve, and they did just that with a 4-3 game two win. While this one wasn’t as “comfortable” as Sunday’s 4-1 win, the Rangers were once again the better team for long stretches of the game. They took what feels like the Capitals best punch (at least so far) and found a way to win anyway, a testament to the Blueshirts character. While several Rangers had big games, three in particular stood out above the rest, the first of which was Mika Zibanejad.

The first two games of this series have arguably been Zibanejad’s best games of the whole season. His steady three zone performance on Sunday was punctuated by a beautiful assist to Chris Kreider, and that seemed to give him more confidence offensively. That confidence carried over to a multipoint performance (1 G, 1 A) in the game two win. These of the type of games Zibanejad is more than capable of and they will make the difference this time of year as the Blueshirts look to make a run. As nice as his snipe was, Z-Bad’s assist to our next featured players goal was even better.

The goal above was not only a beautiful combination play between three Rangers, K’Andre Millers lamplighter wound up being the difference in the game. Miller had another solid game, one where he was engaged physically from the get go. After being on the ice for the Capitals first goal, number 79 and his partner Braden Schneider took control at the back end. Miller played with real decisiveness and toughness in his game, an approach we have wanted to see from him all year, as it serves him well in all three zones. Speaking of three zone players, let’s talk about our final spotlight player.

Our third and final featured player is Vincent Trocheck. While his game tying deflection goal was pretty, his work in all three zones and on the penalty kill was pivotal. Number 16 made his presence felt throughout the game, something too many penalties stopped him from doing in game one. He needs to continue to be at his best self this postseason as the Rangers look to go deeper in the playoffs. This game was a nasty, physical affair, something right in Trocheck’s wheelhouse of pestering play.

If there is something to discuss or call out it’s penalty trouble and maintaining an edge. The Rangers took a few too many penalties for the second game in a row. Now I’ll give them a bit of a pass here as the definition of what “is and isn’t” a penalty in this series is becoming harder to comprehend, something fans of every team in these playoffs are complaining about. But, the Rangers have to stay smart out there, especially when changing lines, so as to avoid letting the Capitals back in the game. As for an edge, expect game three in DC to be on the nasty side as the Capitals look to make this series a bit of a slog. The Rangers have to strike a balance between defending themselves and taking a silly penalty. While it won’t necessarily be easy, they need to stay physical and not allow themselves to be pushed around. The Blueshirts should keep their head on a swivel when they’re in DC. If they can stay above the fray and keep playing their game, this series should continue to go their way.

Game three is Friday night in the nations capital, so keep it locked here with us and our partners at the Rangers podcast for analysis. You can find me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. We have also launched a podcast which carries the same name as the Instagram account. Check out our new mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! Stay