NHL roundup: Rangers advance after sweeping Caps, Predators beaten by Canucks

Artemi Panarin, scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and provided an assist to guide the New York Rangers to a 4-2 triumph over the Washington Capitals in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

This victory completes the sweep for the Rangers, making them the first team to advance to the second round of the postseason. Alongside Panarin, Kaapo Kakko, Vincent Trocheck, and Jack Roslovic also contributed goals for the Rangers. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin showcased his skills by making 23 saves, while Mika Zibanejad played a crucial role with two assists for the Presidents' Trophy winners.

Looking ahead, the New York Rangers will face the winner of the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders. Currently, the Hurricanes lead the series 3-1, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday.

On the other hand, the Washington Capitals saw Martin Fehervary and Hendrix Lapierre score their goals, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren made 19 saves for the Capitals, while their star captain, Alex Ovechkin, failed to register a point in all four games of the series. Ovechkin played limited minutes, only 15:26, and did not manage to take a shot on goal in the decisive elimination game.

In another thrilling matchup, the Vancouver Canucks emerged victorious with a 4-3 overtime win against the Nashville Predators. Elias Lindholm scored the game-winning goal at 1:02 of overtime, allowing the Canucks to take control of the first-round series.

With a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, Vancouver will host Game 5 on Tuesday. Brock Boeser played a pivotal role for the Canucks, recording a hat-trick, including two goals in the final minutes of regulation to force overtime. Arturs Silovs, making his Stanley Cup playoff debut in place of the injured Casey DeSmith, made 27 saves to secure the win for Vancouver.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche dominated the Winnipeg Jets with a commanding 5-1 victory. Valeri Nichushkin had an outstanding performance, scoring his first career hat-trick for the Avalanche.

Colorado now holds a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round series, with Game 5 set to take place in Winnipeg on Tuesday night. Since losing the first game 7-6, the Avalanche have outscored the Jets 16-5

The Edmonton Oilers emerged victorious with a 1-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series. Stuart Skinner, the goaltender for the Oilers, showcased his skills by making an impressive 33 saves throughout the game.

With this win, the Oilers now hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series as they head into Game 5 on Wednesday night in Edmonton. Their aim is to eliminate the Kings in the first round for the third consecutive season.

Evan Bouchard contributed to the Oilers' success by scoring a power-play goal, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl provided the assists. McDavid has been a standout player in the series, accumulating a total of 10 points with one goal and nine assists. Draisaitl has also been instrumental with eight points, including three goals and five assists.

In a surprising move, Los Angeles interim coach Jim Hiller decided to start David Rittich as the goaltender for the first time in the series. Rittich, who had not started a playoff game in almost two years and only the second in his eight-year NHL career, managed to make 12 saves.