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Hartnett: Mouthwatering Lundqvist-Ovechkin Matchup Will Only Get Better

By Sean Hartnett
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Like fire and ice, Alex Ovechkin and Henrik Lundqvist are two forces of nature colliding in an Eastern Conference semifinal showdown currently knotted at 1-1.

Only one superpower can prevail in the race to four wins.

Ovechkin is a rampaging wildfire – unpredictable and at times uncontainable. The Great Eight has separated himself from his peers. At 29, Ovechkin isn't just the most dominant offensive machine on skates. He is playing the best all-around hockey of his career at precisely the right time under the playoff spotlight. No NHL skater compares to Ovechkin. He's a charging wrecking ball across 200 feet of ice.

"He's leaving an impression on them physically and also with his skill level," Washington Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said. "He's a force. No question."

The fired-up Washington captain has scored incredible highlight-reel goals in consecutive series games. In Game 1, Ovechkin unleashed an unstoppable wrist shot that defied Lundqvist's razor-sharp reactions.

"All series baby, all series," Ovechkin barked. The unflappable Lundqvist did not react to Ovi's taunting. He didn't offer a retort.

Ovechkin one-upped himself in Game 2 by splitting Rangers top D-pair Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi and scoring what might go down as the finest individual effort of the playoffs. While falling to the ice, Ovechkin somehow fired off a laser from his knees to beat Lundqvist top corner, stick side.

"He's one of the best players in the game, there's no question," Lundqvist said. "There's not a lot of players that can do what he does out there and it's a challenge for us every game to try to stop. To be able to shoot it that hard on your knees, it definitely surprised me a little bit there."

If Ovechkin is the fire, Lundqvist is the arctic freeze protecting the pipes as the Rangers' last line of defense. After being bested by the Caps in Game 1, a determined Lundqvist was desperate to pull the series even.

"It really bothered me," Lundqvist said about losing the series opener.

King Henrik summoned his sensational best in Game 2. His jaw-dropping cartwheel save on Russian young gun Evgeny Kuznetsov highlighted a steely performance. During the frantic final minutes, Lundqvist kept his cool as the Rangers put the finishing touches on a 3-2 victory.

"Games are so important right now and talking going to the third, we have to leave everything out there," Lundqvist said. "You don't want any regrets this time of the year so you have to go out there and work as hard as you can."

Teammates noticed how greatly the Game 1 defeat angered Lundqvist.

"He was pretty (ticked) off after Game 1, and he came back tonight," center Derick Brassard said. "I thought he played like he was (ticked) off."

Ahead of Game 3, Ovechkin understands the importance of disrupting Lundqvist, getting bodies to the crease, and making him work harder.

"We have to get traffic in front of Lundqvist," Ovechkin said. "The next game is going to be huge."

The Ovechkin-Lundqvist duel is just getting started. It doesn't get any better than watching the NHL's best forward and the league's top goaltender locking horns over the course of what should be a long and memorable series.

KREIDER'S GAME IS TRENDING UPWARD

As a 20-year-old rookie making his NHL debut in the 2012 playoffs, Chris Kreider was thrown into the deep end. Even then, it was obvious Kreider possessed the raw tools that could allow him to blossom into a dominant top-six forward.

Kreider thrives in the north-south game, using his breakaway speed and 6-foot-3, 226-pound frame to cause havoc all over the ice. From the drop of the puck, Kreider played with a difference-making mentality in Game 2.

No. 20 was locked in right away.

All it took was 38 seconds for Kreider to light the lamp. Kreider followed linemate Jesper Fast's effort to bury a rebounded puck past a diving Braden Holtby.

Throughout Game 2, Kreider effectively used his muscular frame. He constantly worked his way into the crease for scoring chances and freight trained Ovechkin and Brooks Orpik with heavy checks.

"He's a huge difference maker," McDonagh said. "He was a huge influence on the game for us, the way he can skate, the way he can hit and shoot, the physicality. When he's putting all three of those together, it's a tough combo to defend for anyone. So it's a good sign for him today, that he was able to get it going. He has to continue that for us if we want to be successful against this team."

Veteran teammate Dan Boyle has been playing in the NHL since 1999. Following Kreider's sparkling Game 2 performance, Boyle admitted that Kreider is the fastest teammate he's ever played with – and that's not all.

"And I've played with some fast players," Boyle said. "Possibly the strongest. He's done it all year long."

Kreider is far from being the finished product. Having turned 24 on April 30, he's still learning to effectively pair positional smarts with his lightning acceleration and hulk-like strength.

"He continues to learn how to use his speed, and use his body," linemate Derek Stepan said. "He's gotten better and better since he's been here, for that matter, and as the year has gone on, and as the playoffs have gone on. He's a big part of the reason our line went."

Kreider finished Game 2 with three shots on goal, a team-high eight shot attempts and tied Kevin Klein for a team-best four hits.

AV'S MAGIC TOUCH PAYS OFF, KREIDER-STEPAN-FAST LINE SHINES

Head coach Alain Vigneault opted to alter his lines by swapping Fast and J.T. Miller. Fast moved to the right side of Stepan's line, while Miller skated with left winger Carl Hagelin and center Kevin Hayes on the third line.

"Just thought it might be a good thing to do," Vigneault said.

His decision paid off immediately as the Kreider-Stepan-Fast line combined for the game's opening goal 38 seconds in. The trio tested Holtby with numerous threatening chances, made smart plays along the wall and worked the cycle effectively.

"Obviously, he had an incredible game," Kreider said of Fast. "Jesper is just a workhorse, and he never stopped moving."

Fast has long been a favorite of Vigneault's because of his high-energy and mistake-free traits in all areas. The 23-year-old Swede has earned the nickname "Quickie" from AV.

Some guys just have a knack for stepping their game up in the playoffs. Fast is one of them.

Follow Sean on Twitter – @HartnettHockey.

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