WASHINGTON, D.C – Justin Williams scored three times to help the Washington Capitals win their 12th home game in a row.
Anntti Raanta got the start in net for the New York Rangers and made 19 of 23 saves. He is now 4-4-1 on the year. Goaltender Braden Holtby made 20 of 22 saves before leaving the game in the second period from dehydration. Backup Philipp Grubauer came in relief and shutdown New York, stopping all 11 shots he faced. The win was Holtby’s 29th of the year.
Rangers forward Chris Kreider tallied both goals for his team who suffered their 16th loss of the season.
Rangers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout on Saturday, but failed to win consecutive games once again. They have not done so since November.
“It’s a tough league,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “Look at the league; there are no bad teams. It’s that way across the board right now. So many good teams, you’ve got to be on top of your game, all aspects of your game. I thought we battled hard to make it 3-2 and then we turned it over on a simple play in our end and they made us pay for it again. They are an elite team, and when you make mistakes like that, they are going to make you pay.”
Special teams ended up being the deciding factor, as New York did not capitalize on all four power plays they got, while Washington went 2-for-4.
The Rangers next game will be on Tuesday at home against the Vancouver Canucks.
Capitals head to Columbus on Tuesday to face the Blue Jackets, who are last in the NHL.
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