NEW YORK (AP) - Rangers rookie Chris Kreider scored the go-ahead goal and then set up Brad Richards' insurance tally 90 seconds later in the third period to lift New York to a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Saturday.

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Kreider, who earlier this month helped Boston College win the NCAA championship, scored his second goal of his NHL career - and these playoffs - and he did it at the perfect time to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead 7:00 into the third.

Richards made it a two-goal lead off a feed from Kreider, and gave a two-fisted punch into the glass behind goalie Braden Holtby to celebrate his third goal of the playoffs.

Henrik Lundqvist earned the win, and needed to make only 17 saves to do it.

The Rangers mustered just 14 shots on Holtby, but scored on two in a row to put the game away.