New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, second from right, celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Solid goaltending by Igor Shesterkin helped the New York Rangers snap a four-game losing streak Sunday with a solid 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden.
Shesterkin played valiantly over 60 minutes of hockey, stopping not only 24 of 25 shots but also the bleeding from a frustrating recent stretch for the Broadway Blueshirts as they fight to stay atop the Metropolitan Division.
It wasn’t a “perfect game,” as coach Peter Laviolette admitted after the game, but Sunday’s win was a step back in the right direction.
“We got a little sleepy in the second period, it seemed like last night caught up to us,” Laviolette said. “We came out the right way and then intermission happened, but then I thought it sunk just a little bit. But I thought we picked back up in the third period, and got going. We were fresh offensively and defended hard when we had to.”
After the most recent loss in Washington Saturday afternoon, the Rangers set about early Sunday on their home ice to change the tone. Less than minute into the game, Artemi Panarin opened the scoring with a beautiful one-timer shot that Vincent Trocheck set up for him, driving the puck past Capitals’ goalie Charlie Lindgen and setting the Garden into a frenzy.
It was Panarin’s 26th goal of the year, and he would have a hand later on in the Rangers’ second goal of the afternoon — with just seconds left in the first period.
Stuck against the boards, Panarin helped feed the puck to his right to Braden Schneider near the Capitals’ blue line, who then sent it down the ice to Alexis Lafreniere, all alone against Lindgren.
After Lindgren deflected his first attempt, Lafreniere was there to finish it off, flipping the puck past over…
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