NHL: Washington 3, New York Rangers 1

WASHINGTON, April 23 (UPI) -- Alex Ovechkin notched a goal and an assist Saturday, boosting Washington to a 3-1 win and 4-2 first-round playoff series victory over the New York Rangers.

Ovechkin helped out on Mike Green's power-play marker 5:59 into the game and made it 2-0 Washington in the second period on a backhander past Henrik Lunqvist, helping the top-seeded Caps dispatch the Rangers and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Alexander Semin also scored and Michael Neuvirth turned aside 26-of-26 shots for the Capitals, who closed out the series after blowing a 3-games-to-1 lead in their previous post-season series last year against Montreal.

Washington will now go on to play the winner of the Philadelphia-Buffalo series.

Wojtek Wolski scored with 32 seconds left in the game, allowing the eighth-seeded Rangers to avoid a shutout.

Lundqvist, making his 31st consecutive start for New York, made 24 saves in the setback.