New York Rangers complete comeback, eliminate Washington Capitals

Derek Stepan helped the Rangers book their second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference finals in dramatic fashion.

Stepan scored with 8:36 left in overtime to propel New York to a 2-1 Game 7 victory over the Washington Capitals in the semifinal round.

Following an offensive zone faceoff win by New York, Dan Girardi fired a shot from the blue line. Braden Holtby made the initial stop, but Stepan was perfectly positioned at the left side of the net, where he wristed home the rebound past the falling Washington netminder for the historic win.

New York improved to 7-0 all-time at home in Game 7s and became the first team in NHL history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit two seasons in a row.

Kevin Hayes also scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves in a spectacular performance for the Rangers, who will host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Saturday's Game 1.

Alex Ovechkin, the confident Washington captain who guaranteed his team a victory, provided his team's lone goal. Holtby stopped 37 shots in defeat.

[SportsNetwork.com]