The New York Rangers have their first winning streak of the season by defeating Washington Capitals by a final score of 4-2. Artemiy Panarin lit the scoreboard once again as he recorded a night of three assists to give New York their second consecutive victory. David Quinn continued to play the hot hand in the goal tonight and Igor Shesterkin took his third consecutive victory with an effort of 31 volleys.
1st period
Ryan Strome (3) – Adam Fox (6) and Artemiy Panarin (8) – 1:41
With Rangers having a difficult test ahead of Washington Capitals, they lost very little time to get on the scoreboard. Just a minute and 41 seconds after the opening clash, Rangers jumped to a 1-0 lead courtesy of Ryan Strome, third of the season. Adam Fox took primary assistance after firing a kick in the traffic, while Strome gained body position in front of the defender. Strome was able to outwit Vitek Vancek completely by changing the direction of the shot, and gave New York the important first advantage of the night.
2nd period
Anthony Bitetto (1) – Kevin Rooney (1) – 9:15
New York managed to double its lead in the middle of the second period, with Long Island native Anthony Bitetto taking his first goal as a blueshirt. The sequence itself was impressive, with Bitetto jumping to keep the puck alive in the offensive zone and never leave the game. He absorbed a blow below the goal line, spun through the ice and backhanded towards the net. Vancek seemed surprised to see that Bitetto managed to get rid of the gap, and New York took a 2-0 lead.
Carl Hagelin (1) – Garnett Hathaway (3) and Michael Sgarbossa (2) – 18:57
With just a minute to go, Washington was able to return to the game after a lucky break in front of the net. Garnett Hathaway’s opening shot was kicked into the corner by Igor Shesterkin, but Carl Hagelin was able to jump on the loose puck. Hagelin’s next shot jumped in the crease before jumping over Shesterkin’s glove while trying to catch it, and rolled over the goal line to make a 2-1 game.
3rd period
Ryan Strome (4) – Artemiy Panarin (9) and Kaapo Kakko (1) – 7:55
Despite giving up a goal at the end of the second period, Rangers came out with a strong opening for the last 20 minutes of play. Kaapo Kakko was able to generate a 2-to-1 rush in the opposite direction after making a defensive move and passing the puck to Artemiy Panarin. Ryan Strome and Panarin combined in a filthy give and go game when they entered the goal, and Strome hit his second goal of the night.
Alex Ovechkin (3) – Nicklas Backstrom (9) – 11:01
Alex Ovechkin temporarily interrupted everyone’s excitement at the same time that he took his third place of the season. The goal came just after a victory in the direct confrontation of the offensive zone, and Ovechkin was able to pick up the tie disc in the circle. Igor Shesterkin came out to challenge the shot, but nothing stops Alex Ovechkin when he manages to choose his place in the close. The goal put Rangers on their heels a bit, as they were tasked with putting up with the final nine minutes of regulation time.
Pavel Buchnevich (3) – Mika Zibanejad (2) and Artemiy Panarin (10) ENG – 19:33
New York managed to keep most of the game in their own defensive zone and ended up freezing the game with an empty goal. Artemiy Panarin received his third attendance of the night, when Panarin’s trio, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich played the record before it ended at the bottom of the Washington network.
Overall, it was a solid defensive effort by the Rangers for 60 minutes. While the Rangers gave up 33 shots in total, they limited the chances of quality in front of their own net to stifle Washington’s attack. The attack finally started to click consistently in the offensive zone, and they scored goals at the right time, when they needed it most.
After tonight’s impressive win over the Capitals, the Rangers will be out until Monday night, when they will host the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils was postponed with the Devils ending for the next week due to the COVID-19 protocols.