Clearly, the Washington Capitals didn't do their Star Wars homework over the weekend, otherwise they may have been able to avoid the clear trap game ahead of them in New York. That would have been my opening lead had the Capitals rolled over and stayed down after a 3-1 first period beatdown that saw the Rangers score three straight in five minutes. Instead, Washington collected themselves and poured it on New York for the final two periods in a 7-3 victory.
NHL scores 2015: Capitals overcome trap game in a decisive win over Rangers
The six unanswered goals by Washington have the Capitals on top of the league for the first time this season.
Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
This is all quite an interesting parallel, as while the Capitals’ stock over the last few weeks has risen, the Rangers’ has fallen in quite a similar manner. The Rangers were once the top team in the NHL just last month, yet their offensive problems have finally come into the light as their defense and goaltending have failed them over the month of December. For the Capitals, the complete reverse, as their offense has benefited from the defense and goaltending behind them.
For the first 20 minutes, it seemed this game would fall into the category of a trap match. It had all the makings of it, an uneven shot count for the Rangers 15-7, a Braden Holtby who looked as human as he had the other evening against the Lightning and an unrelenting New York team that pounced on every Washington mistake.
Outside of those 20 minutes, however, it was all Capitals, who scored four straight in the second period on an even more uneven shot count of 17-9. New York gave Washington two key power plays, which the Capitals jumped on in the way only they can with their deadly offense. Captain Alex Ovechkin was a huge driving force all game, coming to a head with his point-blank power play wrister that poor Henrik Lundqvist had no chance of stopping.
For Ovechkin, it was his fifth goal in seven games, and his tally helped chase Lundqvist for Magnus Hellberg, who made his Rangers debut to the tune of two goals on six shots in the final period of play. Sunday night's game is a clear microcosm of what is wrong with the New York Rangers, a full regressive effort across the board.
Goals allowed past six games: 5, 5, 5, 2, 5, 7. #NYR
— Brian Compton (@BComptonNHL) December 21, 2015 Scores
Florida Panthers 5, Vancouver Canucks 4 (SO)
Boston Bruins 2, New Jersey Devils 1 (SO)
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Ottawa Senators 2
Washington Capitals 7, New York Rangers 3
Chicago Blackhawks 4, San Jose Sharks 3 (OT)
3 things we learned
1. Steven Stamkos capped off solid weekend with two goals against Ottawa
Three straight goals by Tampa Bay helped the Lightning pull ahead and stay there against the Senators Sunday afternoon. Stamkos had two of the team's total five goals in the game in their 5-2 victory at home, giving him three goals over the weekend -- the first being on Friday at Washington. The weekend is one of the strongest Stamkos has had in a while, breaking a goalless drought of 10 games that stretched back to Nov. 25.
2. Jaromir Jagr passed Marcel Dionne for fourth all-time on the NHL scoring leaderboard
It was only a matter of time until Jagr eclipsed this record. In the Panthers 5-4 shootout win over the Canucks, Jagr tallied his 732nd career goal in a key spot for Florida, helping him to pass Dionne's record to own sole possession of the fourth spot. The 43-year-old is still going and will probably pass Brett Hull's total of 741 sometime this season.
3. Patrick Kane is on another point streak
Since the Colorado game that ended his 26-game point streak, Kane is now in the midst of a new three-game streak. Kane scored a goal and tallied an assist in the Blackhawks' 4-3 overtime win over the Sharks.
Patrick Kane became the only U.S.-born player ever to score 20 or more goals in each of his first nine seasons in the NHL
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) December 20, 2015 Impact Moment
Aleksander Barkov helped the Panthers to a shootout win over the Canucks with this beauty of a goal, as he picked the puck off his skate before roofing it.
Stat of the Night
Ben Bishop (@Benbishop30) of the @TBLightning improved to 8-0-3 in 12 career GP vs. OTT, his former club. #OTTvsTBL pic.twitter.com/4lcCTnKzx4
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 21, 2015 See More:
