This is your place to check for updates and comment along with the Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers game on April 2, 2023.
The Washington Capitals are back on the ice and will play the New York Rangers on national TV at 1 pm.
Most recently, the Capitals lost both games of their back-to-back against the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning (1 standings point out of 4 total). The 2 L’s put the Capitals’ chances to make the postseason at 0.0 percent per MoneyPuck. The team has clinched their worst full season since 2006-07, Ovi’s second year. Nick Jensen found the team’s effort lacking against the Lightning.
Goaltender and rookie Mitchell Gibson will serve as backup with Charlie Lindgren out with illness.
While the playoffs are not a mathematical impossibility yet, it’d require every team ahead of the Capitals to lose almost every game they play.
Today’s game is on TNT. Puck drop is a little after 1:00 pm.
Links
- These are the 23 goalies who have faced an Ovi shot and not given up a goal
- Oshie and TVR will miss the game due to injury
- Sonny Milano is getting closer to a return
- Mitchell Gibson signed to an amateur deal with Lindgren out
- TVR out at least a week
- Ilya Samsonov on fatherhood
- DSP on the 2018 Stanley Cup team
- Daniel Sprong would have the second most goals on the Capitals this season
- Such a bad season
Lines
Lineys#CapsRangers | @JackDaniels_US pic.twitter.com/dUH8Fdjv28
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 2, 2023
1st Period
Ovechkin-Strome-Wilson and Fehervary-Carlson get the start. Darcy Kuemper will oppose Igor Shesterkin in net.
🚨 1-0 Rangers. Darcy Kuemper can’t handle a harmless backhand shot that bounces out to K’Andre Miller for the layup.
🚨 2-0 Rangers. Alexis Lafreniere goes through the legs around Rasmus Sandin to score just outside the crease. That’s two goals in two minutes and two seconds for the Rangers.
This one’s bleak, folks.
It sounds like Capital One Arena is Madison Square Garden
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) April 2, 2023
The Rangers outshot the Capitals 9-6.
2nd Period
🚨 3-0 Rangers. Martin Fehervary doesn’t lift the stick of Kappo Kakko who gets enough of a centering pass to knock the puck past Kuemper. The goal came one minute into the period. The Rangers have three goals on their last six shots.
🚨 3-1 Rangers. Dylan Strome just banked a shot off Igor Shesterkin’s body and in from behind the net. Shesterkin was looking forward and Strome found a hole.
The Rangers have a 17-14 lead in shots on goal.
3rd Period
Five minutes into the period, Ovechkin almost scores during a mad scramble in front of the net.
🚨 4-1 Rangers. Vladimir Tarasenko skates down the left wing and snipes a shot to the far corner past Kuemper’s out-stretched glove.
🚨 4-2 Rangers. After approximately 15 whacks at a loose puck, Aliaksei Protas finally finds paydirt and has his fourth goal of the season. Per the TNT telecast, it’s his first goal in 37 games.
🚨 5-2 Rangers. Mika Zibanejad scores on a power play after being found on the left wing wide open with a cross-ice pass.
Alex Ovechkin was effectively tossed after starting a scrum with Barclay Goodrow. Tom Wilson eventually got his hands on Goodrow and the two fought. Martin Fehervary also dropped his gloves.
Caps lose 5-2. The Rangers outshot Washington 34-28.
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