Cardiac Caps Return: Caps 4, Rangers 3 (2OT)

When it's all said and done, Jason Chimera might be the one who changed the Washington Capitals' postseason karma. In double overtime at Madison Square Garden, Chimera followed his own blocked shot, and poked it into the goal as Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik and Wojtek Wolski couldn't decide who should play the puck. Chimera's tally came at 12:36 of the second overtime after the Caps rallied from a three-goal deficit.

That hole dug by the Caps came in the second period, when the Rangers scored all of their goals, the latter two in a seven-second span. But Coach Bruce Boudreau stuck with Michal Neuvirth in net and the Caps were able to rally in the third behind two goals from Marcus Johansson and one from Alex Semin, whose play improved as the game progressed.

Although the first period was OK and the second was downright ugly, the bounces in the third period and overtimes went the Caps' way. They were able to redeem themselves in a game that looked like past gloom and doom was coming back to haunt them.

But, thanks to Chimera and some good luck, the Caps now need one more win to advance to the second round of the playoffs for just the second time under Boudreau. Their first crack at it comes Saturday at Verizon Center (3 p.m., NBC) and they must not let anything go to waste. Because after tonight, they don't want to tempt fate yet again.