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With the addition of Kevin Shattenkirk, the Caps were supposed to be a juggernaut.
It took a little while, but in the final 40 minutes, Washington looked the part, with pretty puck control and movement in the offensive zone, and, ultimately, a 4-1 win—Barry Trotz’s 700th win as a head coach in the NHL.
Here’s Tuesday night’s Plus/Minus:
And now, this..
Textbook deflection #CapsNYR on @csnma pic.twitter.com/uA6dcCptZo
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 1, 2017
Ten more notes on the game:
The Rangers game out of the gate strong. Less than 15 seconds in, Derek Stepan found Ryan McDonagh alone in the low slot for a chance, and Rick Nash hit the post on the follow-up. Then, five minutes in, Brady Skjei tallied for New York on a wonderful passing play off the rush:
Nash hit the post on the power play midway through the period, and Skjei hit the post again on a long slap shot a minute later. New York wasn’t done—Mats Zuccarello had a great chance on a rebound that Karl Alzner blocked.
The Rangers are one of the best teams in the league and the Caps made them look like an appetizer. There will be games where the Caps’ individual skill can get them into trouble with risky plays, but in this game, they managed to recover back on defense just fine.
With an engaged top line and three reliable pairs on the defense, and a seven-point lead with two extra games played, the Capitals should claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference again.
Game highlights: