Caps defeat Rangers, 5-3

The Washington Capitals defeated the New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden, 5-3.  The win is Washington's 5th in a row and improved their record to 11-4 with 22 points, sitting atop the NHL's Eastern Conference.

The Caps naturally found ways to fall behind in the first period.  It has become a rite of passage for the Caps to not hold a lead after one period of play.  Brain Boyle provided all the Rangers offense, scoring twice in the first.  Boyle's first tally came a little over the 4 minute mark.  His goal was answered on a Washington power play when Brooks Laich deflected in an Alexander Semin wrister to knot the game at 1-1.  It was Laich's 4th goal of the season.   Alex Ovechkin had the secondary assist.  Boyle scored his second of the game at the 12:56 mark, just as the Ranger two man power play advantage was ending, to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.  That is where the first period would end.  Washington out shot New York 14-11.

The Caps and Rangers would swap goal in the second, this time, the Caps getting two and the Rangers one.  The first of the second period was a shocker, a bomb from John Erskine to tie the game up at 2-2.  It was Erskine's first tally of the season and first goal since January 26, 2010.  Erskine's bomb was assisted by Tyler Sloan and Matt Hendricks.  Even stranger, the Rangers followed up to take the lead on a bad Tyler Sloan defensive play and a slap shot goal by Derek Boogard.  It was Boogard's first goal in 234 games.  Erskine and Boogard scoring on the same night, same game.  Really!  At the 9:18 mark, Mike Knuble finally get on the scoring sheet taking a rebound from Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist and hammering home  the goal, his first tally since the Caps opening game of this season.  Good ole Knuble can breathe a little easier now.  Overall, the Rangers out shot the Caps 8-5 in a low shooting second period the Caps and Rangers headed to the second intermission deadlocked at 3-3.

Caps went on to add two more goals in the third period.  Matt Hendricks scored his second goal of the season, set up by a beautiful centering pass from behind the net from Matt Bradley to give the Capitals a 4-3 lead, their first lead of the game.  That lead would stand.  Washington got its finally tally at the 19:54 mark, an empty net tally by Brooks Laich, giving him two goals on the night.

Michal Neuvirth stopped 25 of 28 shots and notched the win, improving his season record to 9-3.  It was the Washington Capitals 5th straight win and 7th win out of their last 8 games.

Multi-Point Scorers:

Mike Green, 2 assists

Matt Hendricks, 1 goal, 1 assist

Brooks Laich, 2 goals, 1 assists

Alex Ovechkin, 2 assists

DCPSR Player of the Game:

Brooks Laich, 2 goals, 1 assists, +3