Ovechkin speaks after the Capitals’ 7-4 win over the Rangers. Well, we all need to catch our breath after Saturday's 7-4 win by your Washington Capitals over the New York Rangers. Unfortunately, I used up my 'wild' pun in writing about Thursday's game but this game was far more qualified for that title. Alex Ovechkin scored his 19th of the season (No. 872 for anyone counting). And just about everyone else got on the scoresheet as well. There is a LOT to unpack from this game. Might as well get comfortable, because this is going to take a bit. OFFENSE FINDS GROOVE, ESPECIALLY AT EVEN STRENGTH We'll start with a positive here. The Washington offense was absolutely in gear against the Rangers. Not only did the Capitals manage to go 2-for-4 on the powerplay, but they also notched four other goals at even strength and one more while defending at 6-on-5. Just have a look at the NHL's official report yourself: That's...a lot. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExODg4NzE1MTc2MzU1MzYz/screenshot-2025-01-04-155556.png] That's...a lot. This scoring came up and down the shaken-up lineup for D.C. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/news/washington-capitals-notebook-lines-major-shakeup-mcmichael-center-world-juniors], which further speaks to the offensive depth of this team. Analyze the scoring and you find all four lines contributing in this game. Some goals worth shouting out here are Dylan Strome's powerplay tally to tie the game at one in the first period: Later in the second, Andrew Mangiapane's one-timer that gave the Capitals a 3-1 lead came off a brilliant tic-tac-toe play set up from Rasmus Sandin and Nic Dowd. Then, of course, our favorite captain Alex Ovechkin himself tallied his aforementioned fourth goal in five games since returning from a broken leg. Overall, it's nice to see the offense firing on all cylinders, especially after drying up in recent games. SPECIAL TEAMS... I've tried to give the Capitals' power play a break of late given its success in recent games — PPGs in six of the last seven overall — but it's not always easy. Yes, the Capitals' man advantage has managed to climb out of the bottom of the league and currently sits 13th with a 23.5 percent success rate. Yes, they scored two goals yesterday as well. But, they also managed to yield two high-danger shorthanded chances to the Rangers on the same powerplay as well, and there still seems to be a lack of organization and cohesion. Last game, they surrendered a shorthanded goal. I'm happy to see some real improvement for Washington's power play, but against better teams, those mistakes could almost certainly come back to bite them eventually. Not scoring is one thing, but giving quality chances to the shorthanded team is another. On the penalty kill side of the play, the Capitals' PK killed off all four shorthanded situations. The PK has rarely been an area of concern this season, so it's nice to see them stay consistent and keep the Rangers off the board there. REBOUNDING FROM MISTAKES Speaking of the mistakes, there were some big ones in this game. Logan Thompson, in what I can only imagine was a gaffe made in solidarity with Charlie Lindgren, turned the puck over to Chris Kreider for an easy Rangers game-opening tally. There was also a miscue on a goal from Will Cullye, but the Capitals caught a break, as it was waved off for offside. Late in the second period, Alex Ovechkin committed his own costly turnover that Sam Carrick converted into a goal for the Rangers. Like the power play mistakes I mentioned earlier, there were certainly some errors in this one that could have deflated a lesser team. Washington has become known for its ability to rebound from miscues and adversity, and Saturday's game showcased that. Postgame, coach Spencer Carbery complimented his team's ability to shrug off mistakes, like the Logan Thompson turnover, and ready themselves for the next shift. ONE FOR THE ROAD The Capitals take to the road for their next game, as they face the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The last time these two teams met was on Dec. 14, when Washington came away with a 4-2 win amid an elongated Sabres losing streak. Since then, Buffalo has managed a couple of wins, although it is still experiencing its share of issues. And of course, Washington has since seen the return of their Captain to the lineup. The Sabres may still be fledgling, but D.C. will need to be on their game to avoid falling into a trap game.
