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New York Rangers Suffer Fourth Straight Loss Courtesy of a Monumental Defeat in Washington

For the first time this season, the New York Rangers dropped their fourth straight loss thanks to late heroics from the Washington Capitals. The 4-3 defeat on Saturday is a sign that changes are soon on the horizon. Whether it was caused by personnel in the lineup, the matinee loss in “The District” is the first, true wake-up call of the season.

With a flu bug surrounding the team and a revolving door in Hartford, the amount of inconsistencies over the past week has been alarming. The weekend presented a chance for New York to eliminate the “bad juju” and end the skid. Standing in their way was Charlie Lindgren, whose 25 saves earned him the first star of the game. Below is a period-by-period breakdown of Saturday’s divisional fixture.

First Period Takeaway: The Power of ‘Foxy’ Clean

Both New York and Washington came out a bit sluggish from the jump. It took the Rangers over five minutes just to earn their first shot on Lindgren. It was not a matter of being unselfish, rather a lack of reason. There was no purpose in the early stages, and who knows where that came from.

You can speculate all you want that there’s a flu bug going around, but we don’t know that for sure. All we know is that it hit Mika Zibanejad who missed Thursday’s game in St. Louis due to illness. A game-time decision on Saturday, Zibanejad was well enough to start against Washington. The strides were a tad heavy, but those strides were made up by the hardnosed play of William Cuylle. The second-round pick has earned his chance on the top line due to inconsistencies with the team’s top right wing slot.

Once again, New York earned the first goal of the contest courtesy of Adam Fox. His sixth of the season caught Lindgren off guard, guiding the puck into an open frame. Fox has now scored three goals in his last four games.

Anthony Mantha scored in their last fixture at Capital One Arena. With almost two minutes to go, Connor McMichael blocked a K’Andre Miller shot which sent Mantha to the races. His backhand found twine past Jonathan Quick. The divisional foes took a 1-1 deadlock into the second. The Rangers were 12-0-0 when tied after the opening period entering Saturday’s matinee.

 

Second Period Takeaway: Returning to Norris-like Form

New York finally began testing Lindgren from all ends. Still trying to be too cute, the Blueshirts tightened their game up by producing more quality scoring chances. Safe to say, their change of pace paid off. Thanks to their most in-form player, the Rangers found themselves ahead once again. A point shot from Fox found the back of the net thanks to a screen from Jimmy Vesey. Fox now has seven on the season and four in his last four. This is arguably the best that Fox has play since the Western Canadian road trip back in late October.

The solid play began to fade, as Washington found the momentum that they longed for. Spencer Carbery’s team play a sort of attitude that simply cannot be put into words. They were lingering, searching for the perfect opportunity to “capitalize” on New York’s laziness. The Rangers, taking a 2-1 lead into third were a team with a lead that was not in the driver’s seat.

Third Period Takeaway: That’s How the Cookie Crumbles

When your stars do not shine, you are left in the dark. That is the only way to describe the play from the Rangers in the final period. There was no plan, no effort, no motivation. With their backs against the wall, Washington exposed New York’s vulnerability with strong plays in front of Quick’s net.

The equalizer came from the stick of Nic Dowd, earning his seventh of the year at a crucial time in the contest. Just over six minutes in, Washington flipped a switch thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov’s heads up play. Dowd batted the puck out of mid-air. With his stick just below the crossbar, the Capitals evened the scoreline.

Just when you thought New York was about to respond, Washington provided the rain on their parade. Dylan Strome skated past Fox on a failed clearing attempt and found T.J. Oshie all one at the back post. Only his third goal of the season, it turned out to be the decider as Washington escapes with a 3-2 home win.

New York, who are on their most lacklustre run of the season, have now dropped four straight games. With injuries, illness, and incompetent defending to blame, this is the first gut check of the season. Are they capable of turning this around? Forget the Stanley Cup, the first objective should be to maintain the lead in the Metropolitan Division.

Both teams are back in action Sunday afternoon from Madison Square Garden. Puck drop is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. EST from The World’s Most Famous Arena.

Main photo: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

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