Nicklas Backstrom tied a career-high with five
points and notched the game-winning goal shortly into the third period, as the
Washington Capitals continued their winning ways with a wild 6-5 victory over
the New York Rangers.
Backstrom tied another career high with four assists, as the Caps extended
their franchise-best win streak to 12. Alex Ovechkin reached yet another
milestone, tallying two goals and an assist to give him 500 career points.
Mike Knuble added a goal and an assist, while Boyd Gordon and Tom Poti each
scored once in the win. The Caps, who sit atop the NHL with 84 points and
haven't lost since January 12, have scored at least five goals in seven games
during their streak. Jose Theodore made 33 stops in the victory.
Vinny Prospal had two goals and two assists to lead the Rangers, who scored
four power play goals after notching zero in their last seven games. Olli
Jokinen recorded his first points for New York, tallying a goal and an
assist, while also taking three of the team's nine minor penalties.
Ryan Callahan also had a goal and an assist, and Brandon Dubinsky also scored
for the Rangers, who have lost seven of eight games overall. Henrik Lundqvist
was assaulted for six goals on 32 shots in defeat.
The teams battled to an entertaining 5-5 tie after the first 41 minutes, and
the Caps forged in front for the second time on Backstrom's goal, a wrist shot
from the slot that managed to sneak through several players and Lundqvist in
front of the net at 5:34.
Following the go-ahead goal, the Rangers were called for three penalties down
the stretch, denying them a solid chance to get back into the game. New York
had 30 seconds of even-strength time at the end of the game and pulled
Lundqvist in favor of an extra attacker, but Washington didn't allow a good
scoring opportunity in the final seconds.
The Rangers got the scoring going 8:58 into the game. While on the power play,
Jokinen fired a wrister from the slot that Callahan was able to redirect
toward the net. The puck glanced off Callahan's stick and then off Theodore's
and into the net.
The Caps responded nearly eight minutes later. Matt Bradley's initial shot
from the right circle was stopped, but David Steckel picked up the rebound and
left a pass for Gordon, who fired the puck above Lundqvist's glove for the
game-tying goal.
Just 10 seconds after, at 16:50 of the opening period, Prospal took a feed
from Marian Gaborik out in front and beat Theodore top shelf from the front of
the left circle for a 2-1 game after 20 minutes.
The second period featured six goals and a pair of lead changes, but New York
still remained on top heading into the third.
Washington tied the game, 2-2, on Knuble's 20th goal of the season. Ovechkin
carried the puck into the offensive zone and circled around the net,
eventually leaving the disc for Backstrom out in front. Backstrom drew
Lundqvist to the left and dropped a pass to Knuble, who fired it into the open
part of the net at 4:41.
Ovechkin then gave the Capitals their first lead with a power play tally.
First, the Russian drilled a slapshot into Chris Drury's midsection, causing
Drury's mobility to take a serious hit. Ovechkin got the puck back, circled to
the slot and fired a wrister that bounced off Dan Girardi's leg and into the
lower right portion of the net at 7:16, making it a 3-2 game.
The Rangers then scored three consecutive power play goals to gain a two-goal
advantage.
First it was Jokinen, who tallied his first goal as a Ranger when he grabbed a
rebound in front of the net off a deflection and fired it past Theodore at
12:19, tying the game at 3-all.
Then, Washington took two penalties in a three-second span, and Prospal netted
his second of the game on the ensuing 5-on-3 to put New York ahead by one 40
seconds after the previous goal.
At 18:48, Dubinsky put the hosts ahead, 5-3, with a backhanded tally off a
deflection following a tripping call on Alexander Semin.
But Ovechkin brought Washington to within one entering the third with his
500th career point. He brought the puck down the left side, slipped the disc
between defenseman Michal Rozsival's legs before regaining possession and
firing a shot at Lundqvist. The puck bounced up over the netminder's head and
into the net with under 10 seconds remaining on the clock.
The Caps got a power play only seconds into the third period, and Poti sent a
floating shot from the top of the slot that snuck through Knuble's screen in
front for the tying goal 59 ticks into the frame.
Game Notes
Caps defenseman Mike Green served the third of his three-game suspension on
Thursday...Washington leads the season series, 2-1...New York is 12-14-4 at
home, while Washington is 18-9-3 on the road...Despite the scoring surge by
both teams, Semin had his 10-game point streak snapped...The Rangers ended 4-
for-6 on the power play, while Washington went 3-for-9. New York had failed on
its previous 26 chances with the man advantage before Thursday's contest.
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