WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals didn’t get the kind of track meet they’re used to, but they handled the slower pace just fine and came away with a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers.
Logan Thompson was sharp again, stopping 22 of 23 shots for a .957 save percentage, and Washington finished the job by locking things down in the third period. Boone Jenner and Timothy Liljegren each scored their first goals with the Capitals, and Tom Wilson added the empty-netter at the buzzer.
Washington opened the night trailing 1-0, but the chances were there early. The Capitals were doing plenty of the right things offensively, and eventually the pressure paid off.
That first breakthrough came after a heavy shift from the fourth line of Jenner, Justin Sourdif and Ryan Leonard. Dylan Strome jumped off the bench and found Liljegren, who sent a shot through traffic and past Igor Shesterkin to tie the game at 1-1. It was Liljegren’s first goal with Washington since joining the team at the trade deadline last March.
The Capitals also went 0-for-3 on the power play and finished with four shots, while a potential 5-on-3 disappeared after Shesterkin went down with an apparent leg injury. The injury happened as he was returning to his net following a point-blank chance for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Shesterkin was in visible pain on the ice and needed help from training staff and teammates before being practically carried down the tunnel. He was not putting any pressure or weight on his right leg.
After Logan Thompson said last game that the Capitals needed to improve at playing with the lead, Friday looked like a step forward. Washington controlled the third period, kept the Rangers from mounting a comeback and let Wilson finish it off into an empty net.