First Period:
- Pierre-Luc Dubois (16) Assists: Tom Wilson (21)
- Artemi Panarin (26) Assists: Zac Jones (9), Alexis Lafreniere (21)
Second Period:
- Sam Carrick (6) Assists: K’Andre Miller (11), Will Borgen (6)
Third Period:
- Alex Ovechkin (32) Assists: Andrew Mangiapane (10), Connor McMichael (26)
Overtime:
- Tom Wilson (28) Assists: Dylan Strome (43)
Stats:
Adam Rotter:
- The point is nice and important, but they let the other point go by going 0-4 on the PP. They still can’t get to three wins in a row.
- Overall the Rangers played a pretty solid, even game. They played hard, were physical and matching the Capitals. But in the third period the Caps went up a level in their quest to tie it, they did, and the Rangers couldn’t generate anything offensively to push back. I did think it was possible that solid defense and Igor Shesterkin were going to end up winning 2-1, or maybe 3-1 with an empty netter, but the Caps cashed in on the PP and eventually got the winner in OT.
- It’s frustrating to lose this game and ultimately the Caps won the special teams battle and the game. The Caps also won the battle of top-six production as their best players were better than the Rangers best players. Artemi Panarin did score off a nice feed from Alexis Lafreniere, but overall the Rangers still need more from them. Lafreniere had some moments and some hits, but the Rangers need him for his offensive ability and creativity, not necessarily throwing some hits.
- The bottom-six, however, continues to be productive and effective. Sam Carrick’s game has really come on lately as Matt Rempe’s game has also gone up a level and Brett Berard and/or Brennan Othmann add some speed and physicality.
- The next time we see the Rangers will be after the trade deadline. We know Reilly Smith is going to go and that could be it. It would seem more likely that Chris Kreider is in the Rangers lineup on Saturday, or soon after, than somewhere else. His value is low and if he’s healthy when he returns then he improves the top-nine. It’s not impossible that he moves, but I think that likely comes in the offseason. The Rangers aren’t going to be buyers, unless they can find a deal for a player with term, but their real deadline acquisitions will be the eventual returns of Kreider and Adam Fox for this playoff run.
- Saturday is again the biggest game of the season as the Rangers head into Ottawa tied in points. It’s a massive game…until Sunday against Columbus becomes the biggest game of the season. It’s a huge weekend for the Rangers as they look to keep climbing the standings.