Rangers pull even

Kreider scores 38 seconds in

Chris Kreider sets tone as New York ties NHL series with Capitals, 1-1.

The New York Rangers needed to bounce back after a tough loss to the Washington Capitals.

Chris Kreider didn’t need long to get them going.

Kreider scored 38 seconds after the opening faceoff and the Rangers defeated the Capitals, 32, Saturday in New York, tying their Eastern Conference semifinal series, 11.

“I think it helped us a lot to get back on track and not think too much, just play our game and get the building going,” said Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 30 saves.

The next stop is Washington for Game 3 Monday, and if it is like the first two, it should be fun. Both games have been decided by a goal.

“We didn’t play good enough to win this hockey game,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.

Dan Boyle and Derick Brassard also scored for New York in the entertaining game that featured a highlight-reel goal by Alexander Ovechkin that made the final 10 minutes exciting.

Evgeny Kuznetsov also scored for Washington and Braden Holtby made 32 saves.

Game 2 will be remembered for Kreider’s early goal and Ovechkin’s spectacular tally in the third period, when the NHL’s top goal scorer got past top defensemen Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh and beat Lundqvist with a topshelf shot as he was falling to the ice.

The Rangers came out so fast the sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden hadn’t even settled comfortably into their seats after the national anthem before they were jumping to celebrate.

Kreider deflected a pass by defenseman Kevin Klein into the Washington zone, went to the net and fired the rebound of Jesper Fast’s shot into an open net for a quick lead.

Kreider felt the win was the perfect response to the Game 1 loss, but the goal was a stepping stone.

“We needed to answer and now it’s the best of five,” Kreider said.