The Washington Capitals got thoroughly frustrated by the New York Rangers for most of Friday night, but Alex Ovechkin doesn’t need to rule all sixty minutes. He just needs a couple good looks.

Artemi Panarin scored a power-play goal on a rebound in the first period, then a ton of time passed. It looked like this was a game to forget and defeat was imminent, but then — and stop if you’ve heard this before — Alex Ovechkin spit in the dust, whispered nyet, and won the damn thing all by himself.

Caps win! Seventh in a row!

• I was going to call this the Brenden Dillon game because he was very present, which is maybe not a good thing for his team or the entertainment quality of the game.  Dillon failed to defend a zone entry before the Panarin goal, he got busted for a restraining penalty, then he traded unsportsmanlike calls with Brendan Lemieux (not a good trade). His pairing with John Carlson really struggled tonight.
• Alex Ovechkin is amazing. This game was a fated L, and then Ovechkin just threw 10 forwards and 7 defenders a nd on Bananacek on his back and won it. Two goals, both on the rebound, both in the third period, three minutes apart. He’s very much still on his hot streak, scoring his 13th and 14th goals of the season, now at 720 in his career.
• Vitek Vanecek was darn good. I kinda think he’s the better of the two right now. Maybe I’m just stirring the pot because this game was otherwise a dud.
• No ice for 7D Trevor van Riemsdyk.

#JoeBSuitOfTheNight #CapsRangers Blue and purple @JoeBpXp pic.twitter.com/cW8fIl3guq

— Ian Oland (@ianoland) March 19, 2021

Rangers coach David Quinn is on the COVID protocol. The Rangers have played their best hockey of the season without him. (Also now that Panarin’s back.) Would it be macabre of me to say I wonder if he ever comes back?

See you tomorrow.

RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Rangers

Screenshot courtesy of NBC Sports Washington