The Capitals fell apart in a tough battle against the Rangers.
The Washington Capitals started things off on the right foot when they took the ice on Wednesday against the New York Rangers. But in a span of five minutes, things fell apart.
Anthony Mantha scored the lone goal for Washington, but the Rangers kicked things into a higher gear for a 5-1 win.
Here are the takeaways:
Capitals Step Off Gas, Fall 5-1
The Capitals got off on the right foot with a Mantha goal, but things fell apart as New York titled the ice.
In a span of 5:45 minutes, the Rangers scored three goals to take an advantage into the third. Then, they added two more to make it a 5-1 game.
Darcy Kuemper did what he could, stopping 26 of 31 shots, but the defense in front of him left something to be desired.
Washington also couldn’t get much going in the way of offense besides Mantha, who lex the charge in that category. Igor Shesterkin was solid, stopping 26 of 27 total shots.
Anthony Mantha Stays Hot For Capitals, Protas Extends Point Streak
On a positive note, Mantha stayed hot and picked up where he left off. He put D.C. up 1-0 with his 11th goal of the season.
Mantha matched his total from last season in less than half the games and has points in eight of his last 10. He has goals in three straight and points in four straight.
Not only that, he finished with a team-leading seven shots, and his five game-opening goals this season lead the team.
Linemate Aliaksei Protas also extended his hot streak and picked up an assist, marking his fourth straight game with a point.