Capitals Report Card: Caps Get Blown Out by Rangers in Crucial Game
Danny Wild-Imagn Images The Washington Capitals’ (39-30-9) playoff chances took a major hit on Sunday night. They completely fell flat against the last-place New York Rangers (33-36-9) 8-1 at Madison Square Garden. The Capitals looked to be in good shape after upsetting red-hot Buffalo on Saturday.
However, a second-period collapse and lack of coverage led to a crucial loss on the road. After the Rangers took a 1-0 lead early on, Connor McMichael scored the Capitals’ only goal to tie it up at 1-1. The first period seemed to be a sign of a more competitive matchup.
Unfortunately, the second period is when the wheels completely fell off for the Capitals. The defense fell apart and surrendered five goals from the Rangers. It was also a tough night for Charlie Lindgren, who had sat the last 10 games and was playing the second half of a back-to-back.
The 32-year-old netminder finished the night stopping 24 of 32 shots. With the loss, the Capitals now sit three points behind the second Wild Card spot in the East and third in the Metropolitan Division. Next up, Washington will look to bounce back as they visit Toronto on Wednesday night.
Capitals Analysis After Conor Sheary opened the scoring, Tom Wilson made a nice pass to McMichael for a breakaway goal to tie it at 1-1. Unfortunately, that first-period tally was really the only highlight for Washington’s offense all night. The middle frame is when the Capitals completely fell apart.