Rangers 5, Capitals 2
NEW YORK -- Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves as the New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night in a rematch of last season's conference semifinals.
The Rangers (8-2-2) are 5-0-2 in their past seven games.
Five Rangers scored goals - defenseman Kevin Klein, left wing Oscar Lindberg and centers Kevin Hayes, Derick Brassard and Jarret Stoll, who notched his first as a Ranger midway through the third period.
Left wingers Alex Ovechkin and Marcus Johansson had goals for the Capitals.
Goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 16 of 21 shots as the Capitals (8-3-0) lost for the second time in nine games.
Lindberg's sixth goal of the season opened the scoring in a back-and-forth first period. Lindberg drove the net after a turnover by Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik and knocked home the rebound of a shot by Hayes to make it 1-0 at 7:59.
Ovechkin answered eight minutes later to draw the Capitals even at 1. Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi nearly scored, but his shot rang off the post and resulted in a two-on-one chance the other way. Defenseman Nate Schmidt fed Ovechkin for his sixth goal of the season.
The tie was short-lived, however, as Hayes buried a two-on-one opportunity two minutes later. Hayes used the threat of a pass to Lindberg to freeze Holtby and beat him with a wrist shot for his third goal of the season, putting the Rangers on top 2-1.
The Rangers added two goals in the second period.
Klein's third goal of the season came at 1:53 and seconds after a Capitals power play expired. He took a pass from Brassard and wristed a shot that beat Holtby to the stick side to extend the lead to 3-1.
The onslaught continued five minutes later as Brassard capitalized on a turnover to make it 4-1. He attempted to slide the puck to left winger Rick Nash, but the puck bounced off Johansson and past Holtby at 6:59.
Johansson responded with 1:07 remaining in the period to pull Washington within 4-2. The Capitals moved the puck around the offensive zone with ease before defenseman Karl Alzner hit Johansson with a pass that deflected over Lundqvist.
NOTES: The Capitals scratched D Taylor Chorney, C Michael Latta and RW Stanislav Galiev. ... Capitals D Nate Schmidt played in his third straight game after he was a healthy scratch in five of the previous six games. ... Rangers LW Viktor Stalberg returned from a two-game absence due to a head injury. He replaced RW Emerson Etem, who has one assist in three games. ... Rangers D Dylan McIlrath took the spot of D Dan Boyle. It marked just the second time McIlrath has played this season.