NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Capitals defeated the New York Rangers 4-0 on Tuesday night, with Marcus Johansson, defenseman Erik Gustafsson, and Lars Eller scoring, and Darcy Kuemper making 32 saves.
The Capitals have won 10 of their last 11 games and are 13-3-1 since Nov. 23, when they were 7-10-3 heading into that night’s game against Philadelphia.
After Ryan Lindgren and Chris Kreider were penalised for the Rangers within 21 seconds, Washington had a 5-on-3 advantage eight minutes into the game. At 8:44, Johansson tapped a loose puck past Igor Shesterkin for his ninth goal of the season, and Washington quickly cashed in. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Gustafsson both had assists.
Gustafsson then made it 2-0 at 17:01 of the second period, his fifth goal of the season (all in the last five games). On December 17, the journeyman blueliner recorded his first career hat trick in a 5-2 home win over Toronto.
Gustafsson has 19 points (five goals and 14 assists) in 36 games, trailing only John Carlson, who was injured when a puck struck him in the face during Friday’s 4-1 home win over Winnipeg. Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the same game to surpass Gordie Howe on the all-time goal-scoring list.
Eller’s seventh goal of the season made it 3-0 at 19:23 of the second period.
Conor Sheary added his 11th goal of the season with a short-handed empty-net goal at 16:58 of the third period.
With his third shutout of the season and the 28th of his career, Kuemper improved to 7-1-0 in eight career games against the Rangers. The 32-year-old netminder, who won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche last spring before signing a five-year contract with the Capitals in July, is 10-9-2 this season.
Kuemper stopped Chris Kreider’s well-directed deflection early in the second period and gloved a chance by Filip Chytil at 5:21. At 12:18, he stopped Julien Gauthier from close range.
In the third, he stopped a Rangers power play early in the period and stopped another New York man-advantage opportunity with less than five minutes remaining.
Washington’s seventh game against a division opponent this season, and their first of four against the Rangers. In those games, the Capitals are 4-2-1.
The Rangers had won 5-3 at home against the Islanders on Thursday before the holiday break.
New York had won eight of its previous nine games, including four straight at home.
NOTES: Washington’s defensemen have scored 22 goals this season… This season, the Capitals are 20-1-1 when scoring three or more goals… Washington rested defenseman Lucas Johansen and forward Joe Snively in addition to missing injured defenseman John Carlson and forward T.J. Oshie… The Rangers did not play defenseman Libor Hajek or forward Sammy Blais… The teams will reconvene on March 14 in New York, and on February 25 and April 2 in Washington.
