Rangers show off dazzling offense in win over Capitals

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WASHINGTON — The blooming cherry blossom trees in our nation’s capital were looking pretty this weekend, but there wasn’t anything more beautiful than the Rangers’ goals Sunday afternoon.

Leaning on the traits that set them apart from the other 31 NHL teams, their elite skillsets and showmanship, the Blueshirts finished their second-to-last road trip of the season with a 5-2 win over the Capitals at Capital One Arena.

With the victory, the Rangers reached 100 points for the 12th time in franchise history and the second consecutive year.

Five goals may have represented the Rangers’ highest production on the road since Feb. 17, but the various ways in which they came made it all the more encouraging.

There were several highlight-worthy ones.

One that came off a grinding play.

Another was a result of a strong effort off the rush.

And, of course, a power-play tally for good measure.


Alexis Lafreniere (13) celebrates his goal during the Rangers' 5-2 win over the Capitals on Sunday.
Alexis Lafreniere (13) celebrates his goal during the Rangers’ 5-2 win over the Capitals on Sunday.
AP

Head coach Gerard Gallant’s scathing message about their poor starts Friday night appeared to reach the Rangers loud and clear.

In contrast with the previous four road games, the first period saw the Rangers emerge with a 2-0 lead instead of trailing.

The Rangers may have been playing to the Capitals’ speed, but they flashed some picture-perfect plays to pull ahead.

After K’Andre Miller cleaned up a rebound off a sweet move from Vincent Trocheck, who put the puck between his legs and went to his backhand for the initial shot, the Kid Line went to work just over two minutes later.

Filip Chytil dished the puck back to Lafreniere, who pulled off his own between-the-legs move and finished with a backhander for the 2-0 lead at 15:19 of the first period.

It was Lafreniere’s sixth point in the Rangers’ last five games.

The Kid Line was buzzing around like it has been the last few games, and Gallant has been rewarding the young trio accordingly.

Kaapo Kakko, who had battled along the boards behind the Caps’ net earlier, made it a 3-0 game just a minute into the second period by tapping in a feed from Miller behind the goal.

Dylan Strome spoiled Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin’s shutout bid at at 13:32 of the middle frame, when the Capitals forward banked a shot in off the Russian netminder’s right pad from a behind-the-net angle.


Igor Shesterkin makes a glove save in the third period of the Rangers' win over the Capitals on April 2, 2023.
Igor Shesterkin makes a glove save in the third period of the Rangers’ win over the Capitals on April 2, 2023.
NHLI via Getty Images

The Rangers’ top six started the way they ended Friday night’s overtime loss in Buffalo, with both wings flipped.

Patrick Kane skated with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, while Vladimir Tarasenko lined up next to Artemi Panarin and Trocheck.

In addition to Trocheck’s nifty drive to the net that led to Miller’s goal, Tarasenko gave the Rangers a 4-1 lead with a pinpointed wrister off the rush from the left faceoff circle at 5:53 of the third period.

Zibanejad then capped the scoring with a power-play goal later in the final frame.

At the end of a gorgeous spring day in Washington, the Rangers didn’t just get under the Capitals’ skin with their scoring abilities.

Their all-around game gave the home team fits, which the Rangers need at this time of year.

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