Game 1 takeaways: Matt Rempe, fourth line serve as catalysts in ...

NEW YORK - The Rangers put their faith in Matt Rempe for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Washington Capitals on Sunday, with the decision paying immediate dividends.

The enthralling rookie scored New York's first goal of the playoffs to wake up a Madison Square Garden crowd that was looking for a reason to erupt, propelling the top-seeded Blueshirts to a 4-1 win in this best-of-seven showdown.

Rempe and his linemates, Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey, were responsible for two of the Rangers' three second-period goals. They provided an obvious jolt after an opening period in which Rempe's first shift ended with a suspect charging call and their ice time was limited.

The fear in inserting the raw 6-foot-8 forward are costly penalties that come from his hit-everything-that-moves playing style, but his check on Caps forward Beck Malenstyn just 2:07 into Game 1 wasn't an egregious lapse in judgment. Rather, it was a sign of what was to come in a tightly officiated contest.

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There were six total penalties called in a scoreless first period − three on each side − but the game opened up in the second. And it began with the Rangers' fourth line keeping it simple, getting in on the forecheck and causing havoc around the Washington net.

Breaking it open

Rempe was the recipient of a heads-up touch pass from Vesey, which he finished with a one-timer from the far post 4:17 into the period.

Artemi Panarin doubled New York's lead just 33 seconds later, as he ripped a wrist shot past Caps goalie Charlie Lindgren after linemate Alexis Lafrenière blasted Vincent Iorio along the boards to strip him of the puck and quickly get it to Vincent Trocheck.

That marked Panarin's first playoff goal since June 7, 2022 and first playoff point following a six-game drought to end last year's first-round series loss to the New Jersey Devils.

The onslaught continued with Vesey scoring off a Goodrow faceoff win to make it 3-0. His wrist shot from the high slot deflected in off Washington defenseman John Carlson's stick, giving the Rangers three goals in a span of 2:06.

The Capitals got one back when a Tom Wilson pass went in off Martin Fehervary's skate at the 7:31 mark of the second period, but it was an overall strong defensive performance from the Blueshirts. They limited Washington to 21 shots on goal, including only six in a shutdown third period.

Chris Kreider put his stamp on the win with a breakaway goal to make it 4-1 with 3:43 to play. That improved his franchise-record playoff goal total to 41.

Staying out of the mud

The Rangers have a clear advantage in skill compared to a Caps' team that ranked 28th in the NHL with 216 regular-season goals. They're relying on a limited combination of aging veterans and inexperienced youths, which means their best chance for upsetting the Presidents' Trophy winners is to muddy up the waters with physicality and irritation.

There were moments when they garnered reactions, most notably a couple scrums involving Wilson and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk at the end of the second period, but the Rangers mostly kept their heads and carried on with their business.

A big part of that effort was their bottom-six forwards. The fourth line was a catalyst, while the third line of Will Cuylle, Alex Wennberg and Kaapo Kakko also had a handful of effective shifts. That's another clear area of strength for New York, with a chance for the those two lines to dominate their matchups and make this a quick series.

Game 2 is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m., right back here at the Garden.

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.