Rangers vs Capitals: Rangers Fall to Capitals in the Shootout
The New York Rangers dropped their fourth straight game this afternoon after being defeated by the Washington Capitals in the shootout. Alexandar Georgiev turned away 31 shots on the day and was caught on the wrong end of a technicality in the shootout. Despite a rough second period, the Rangers kept pace with the Capitals throughout the game but were unable to grab the second point in extra time.
1-0 Rangers
Ryan Strome (11) - Chris Kreider (22) - 0:45 1st Period
Ryan Strome didn’t waste much time making an impact in this game and gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead just 45 seconds into the first period. The Rangers did an excellent job of forcing a turnover behind the Capitals net, and Chris Kreider dished the puck right out to Strome. The transition happened so quick that the Capitals were unable to react, and Strome slammed home the puck at the top of the crease.
1-1 Tie
Carl Hagelin (3) - Lars Eller (22) & Brooks Orpik (6) - 2:03 1st Period
Unfortunately, the Rangers’ lead would only last for about another minute as Carl Hagelin tied up the game for the Capitals. Libor Hajek made a great defensive play to cut off the attempted pass by Hagelin, but Alexandar Georgiev was already committed to the pass. The puck deflected off of Hajek’s leg and back to Hagelin, who tapped in the loose puck to make it a 1-1 game.
2-1 Capitals
Andre Burakovsky (9) - Nic Dowd (11) & Travis Boyd (13) - 10:02 1st Period
A little later on in the first period, the Capitals took their first lead of the afternoon courtesy of Andrew Burakovsky. The goal came off of a 3-on-2 rush into the Rangers zone, and after making a quick move to the middle, Burakovsky sniped it home. Georgiev appeared to be slightly screen on the goal, and the puck slipped under his arm to make it 2-1 for Washington.
2-2 Tie
Pavel Buchnevich (13) - Filip Chytil (11) & Tony DeAngelo (20) - 14:20 2nd Period
Despite being absolutely dominated during the second period of play, the Rangers found a way to tie the game late in the period. Tony DeAngelo’s point shot wound up hitting Filip Chytil in front of the net, and the puck landed right at his feet. As Chytil was falling to the ice, he tapped the puck to open space where Pavel Buchnevich pounced on the loose puck. Buchnevich one-timed the shot right under the crossbar and brought the Rangers back to life.
3-2 Capitals - Shootout
The game would need to be decided in the shootout, and Kevin Shattenkirk started it off with a snipe. T.J. Oshie, Tony DeAngelo, and Nicklas Backstrom all scored in the shootout and we were left with Alex Ovechkin’s attempt in the fourth round. Alexandar Georgiev appeared to swipe the puck away with a poke check, but the officials got together to determine if he threw his stick. The officials upheld the call, but a call from Toronto overturned the call and Washington was awarded the automatic goal.
Following an interesting end to the game against the Capitals, the Rangers will have a scheduled off day tomorrow before returning to action on Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars.
