Rangers Thump Capitals, 5-1, In Post-Holiday Big Apple Tilt

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Jon Sorensen
Photo: X/@Capitals

The Washington Capitals were back in action from their three-day holiday break, taking on another division foe in the New York Rangers. 

However, it did not go as planned. The Capitals completely unraveled in the second period, allowing three unanswered goals after taking a 1-0 lead and they could not find their game after that. Igor Shesterkin was sensational with 25 saves and the Rangers would whitewash the Capitals 5-1. 

Here is how it went down.

LINES AND PAIRS

Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas – Connor McMichael – Anthony Mantha
Hendrix Lapierre – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Ivan Miroshnichenko
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Rasmus Sandin – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson – Nick Jensen

Darcy Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren

Scratched: Matthew Phillips, Alex Alexeyev, Max Pacioretty (Achillies), Sonny Milano (Lower), T.J. Oshie (Lower), Nicklas Backstrom (hip)

PERIOD 1

There was once again no score after the first 20 minutes. Each team had a power play and the Capitals would have 1:35 of power play time going into the second period. Washington outshot New York 10-7. It was a very fast first period.

PERIOD 2

Anthony Mantha extended his goal streak to three games making it 1-0 Capitals with a snipe from the near side on a two-on-one. Rasmus Sandin and Aliaksei Protas had the assists at the 4:12 mark. It was Mantha’s 11th goal of the season.

The Rangers quickly responded at the 7:03 mark of the second. K’Andre Miller went streaking through the middle of the ice and beat Darcy Kuemper on the backhand, making it a 1-1 game. Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin had the apples.

The Capitals got into some penalty trouble after Ivan Miroshnichenko took a tripping penalty. Panarin ripped a short side snipe over the glove of Kuemper making it 2-1 Rangers at the 12:08 mark. Vincent Trocheck and Zibanejad had the assists.

40 seconds after the Panarin tally, Braden Schneider let a soft wrister go and it beat Kuemper to the far side. Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey had the assists at 12:48.

Washington was outshot 11-10 in the middle frame.

PERIOD 3

Miller got his second goal of the game to make it 4-1 Rangers at the 6:54 mark of the third. It was another long-range shot through a screen. Chris Kreider and Blake Wheeler had the assists.

The onslaught continued as Alexis Lafreniere made it 5-1 for the home team on a backdoor one timer after some puck watching by the Capitals defense. Adam Fox and Miller had the assists at the 11:15 mark.

Up Next

The Capitals will remain in the state of New York to square off against the New York Islanders on Friday, Dec. 29. 

By Jacob Cheris

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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14 Responses to Rangers Thump Capitals, 5-1, In Post-Holiday Big Apple Tilt

  1. novafyre says:
    December 27, 2023 at 10:02 pm

    Once again, Caps radio in third period and after game moaned how tired the Caps looked.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says:
    December 27, 2023 at 10:09 pm

    So Chuck blanks the Rags a few weeks ago, and Carbery goes to Darcy, who looked left ke a human sieve.

    Spence, luv ya baby, but you go with the goalie who recently had success against that team!

    Reply
  3. Jon Sorensen says:
    December 27, 2023 at 10:29 pm

    Reply
  4. Diane Doyle says:
    December 27, 2023 at 10:58 pm

    Seems like the Caps totally fell apart after taking the penalty to nullify their power play. And then gave up another goal right afterwards. Confess once it was 3-1 that quickly, I figured it was curtains for Washington. Given that they lack offense. (Can any of the boys from Hershey step in or is everyone a AAAA player?)

    Reply
  5. Leslie says:
    December 27, 2023 at 10:58 pm

    CANNOT. WATCH. KUEMPER. ANYMORE. 🤦‍♀️😫

    Reply
    • andrew777dc says:
      December 28, 2023 at 9:03 am

      I even had a bad dream after the game, with Kuemper being the bad guy disguised as a humble PA of some big chop he was supposed to protect but betrayed and handed over to the evil villain. Second time I’m having that dream lately. To be fair, he has been good this year, especially in some recent games. Even in this game, he bailed us out more than once. But yeah, he was lost often (not referring to the goals where he was screened). Not as reliable as we the people would hope.

      Reply
  6. Prevent Defense says:
    December 28, 2023 at 8:57 am

    That “Return from Christmas” first game claims its victims

    Only the Gory Bottmann – Cindy Crosby NHLPA agreement CBA could prevent travel the night before and force teams to fly and play on the same day. Still like Bettman as Commissar?

    – NYI gets skunked 7-0 by Cindy’s Girls, and at home in Belmont NY
    – VGK embarrassed 5-2 by ANA
    – Jets flying high recently – Grounded by CHI 2-1
    – Derek Lalonde BIG TIME in trouble as DET free-fall continues – 6-3 to MIN
    – BUF ever closer to firing Donny G. 4-1 piece of garbage to BOS
    – Lots of F-bombs in TOR as the Maple Laughs choke away their 2-goal lead to OTT (4-2 final)

    This season in the NHL: Everybody is all-over-the-place
    But I’m a Caps fan. I don’t care. 5-1 shellacking by NYR UN-acceptable anytime
    Maybe Todd Nelson should get a call-up

    Reply
  7. horn73 says:
    December 28, 2023 at 10:06 am

    Fans fans fans…so the Caps, as a team, 18 skaters or most of them happen to all be slower the same night…don’t even think it is possible to be slower technically, Just lazy excuses…they didn’t come to play, we wanted it more, travel….. – couldn’t be the 3 ahl players playing on lines they have no business being on and several proven NHL’ers continue to be out leads to inconsistent play/results,

    Carbs in running for coach of the year at this point.

    Some times I feel like I make more money than I deserve and then as I talk to more and more people, I am like nope, I am probably underpaid. Same wit hockey, I’m like I never played, I don’t know that much and then I read what so many here write and I am like, nope, I actually know more than most. Of course I defer to Dwigie, guy almost always has good takes.

    Reply

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