Conventional wisdom was that Washington could thump the Rangers only if it had steady play in goal. And the Caps got what they were looking for out of Varlamov, who allowed just one goal on 24 shots.

But the Rangers took the win — and a monstrous 2-0 serious lead as the series shifts to Madison Square Garden this Monday.

New York All-Star netminder Henrik Lundqvist turned away just about everything the Caps’ offense could muster — and the crossbar behind him took care of the rest.

“He’s been great, obviously,” said Rangers captain Chris Drury. “What can you say about him? He stands right there, takes everything they have. He’s been really good.”

Lundqvist — nicknamed “The King” for his ability to rule stellar offenses like Washington’s — did it all. Shots from the point, rebounds, stuff attempts — they all went begging.

It didn’t help the Caps that new Rangers coach John Tortorella instills in all his teams the necessity of blocking shots on goal. His Tampa Bay Lightning specialized in that department in 2004. They skated away with the Stanley Cup.

“A lot of guys blocked shots and sacrificed their bodies in a series like this,” said Lundqvist. “We had a lot of blocks in the first game — especially on faceoffs. Tonight, again, a couple of blocks where they had pretty good shots.”

Boudreau agreed.

“Nothing got through,” said the Caps coach. “It’s nothing new. It’s the commitment to playoff hockey. Everybody is paying that price, blocking shots. They’re doing anything. And that’s why hockey is such an entertaining sport in the playoffs.”

New York skaters stymied 29 attempted shots on net. Lundqvist took it from there.

“I think we had a lot of chances today,” said Caps center Nicklas Backstrom. “Lundqvist was pretty good. There is nothing to say about that … we have to do something new. He is a good goalie and he is pretty big in the net.”

The Caps need to figure out a solution — and fast. If Lundqvist is able to work his magic again in Manhattan on Monday, Washington will be looking down the barrel at a 3-0 series deficit. As adept as this Caps team is at climbing out of holes, that one would perhaps be a little too deep.

The Caps have been most successful this season when going hard to the net. Two of Washington’s goals in Game 1 — Tomas Fleischmann’s deflection and Alexander Semin’s rebound — came as a direct result of having traffic in front of Lundqvist.

And now Boudreau has options. Captain Chris Clark was cleared to play this week after missing 33 games with a wrist injury. His presence could provide a shot in the arm. But Clark, a warrior who goes to the crease without fear, would still be something of a question mark after not having played for so long.

So, after stringing together two solid performances — with nothing to show but three goals total and a pair of losses — the Caps must find some way to solve the riddle that is Henrik Lundqvist. Or they’re sunk.