Associated Press
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the Rangers to a 3-2 victory over Washington on Sunday.
Callahan, who notched his second NHL hat trick Saturday with three goals in a 5-2 win at Philadelphia, got the Eastern Conference leaders going on Sunday in the first period. McDonagh gave the Blueshirts a 2-1 lead with 6:39 left in the second with his fifth of the season, and Brandon Prust snapped a 48-game drought with a short-handed tally in the third.
Henrik Lundqvist did the rest, making 24 saves to earn his second win in two days. The Rangers (36-13-5) have won three straight, four of five, and six of eight (6-1-1). They are 19-5-1 in their past 25 games and 33-10-3 since starting the season 3-3-2.
Alexander Semin scored, defenseman John Carlson had a goal and assist, and Michal Neuvirth stopped 25 shots for the Capitals, who have lost four of six (2-3-1).
Callahan has been on a three-game tear and has been the driving offensive force in the Rangers' latest winning streak in a season that has been full of them. He deftly dealt with a puck in his skates, off a pass from defenseman Anton Stralman, who found him on the goal line to the left of Neuvirth. Callahan kicked the puck to his stick, shifted to his backhand and lifted a shot under the crossbar for his 22nd goal of the season as he fell to the ice at 11:01 of the first.
Washington got even 6:31 into the second when Semin took a smooth drop pass from Jason Chimera above the right circle and fired a shot past Lundqvist for his 15th of the season.
The lead didn't last long, as McDonagh struck late in the period.
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STAT OF THE GAME
The Blueshirts’ penalty kill held the Capitals scoreless in two shorthanded situations (4:00 total icetime), while tallying one shorthanded goal, and finished the back-to-back weekend set 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. The Rangers improved to 26-6-2 when not allowing a power-play goal, and are currently tied for third in the league with seven shorthanded goals on the season.
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| (selected by the local media) |
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| 1. McDonagh |
2. Prust |
3. Dubinsky |
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[42-32-8]
[51-24-7]