WASHINGTON (AP) — Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko scored goals just over two minutes apart, Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves and the New York Rangers beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Sunday to snap a two-game skid.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin got a 10-minute misconduct for a series of stick infractions that set off a couple of fights late in the game.
The so-called “Kid Line” of 21-year-old Lafrenière, 22-year-old Kakko and 23-year-old Filip Chytil, which could be a difference-maker for New York in the playoffs, produced offense for the third time in four games. Chytil, who recently signed a $17.5 million, four-year extension, assisted on Lafrenière's goal to pick up his fifth point in five games.
Shesterkin gave up a bad-angle goal to Dylan Strome but made several big stops to continue rounding into form just over two weeks before the first round begins. Chants of “Igor! Igor!" echoed around the arena filled with Rangers blue several times after the reigning Vezina Trophy winner kept the puck out of the net on the way to his 35th victory this season.
Those fans had plenty to cheer, from Lafrenière's dazzling move around Rasmus Sandin to goals by defenseman K'Andre Miller, trade deadline pickup Vladimir Tarasenko and top center Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers moved three points back of the rival New Jersey Devils for second place in the Metropolitan Division with five games to play.
Washington lost a fourth in a row and for the seventh time in eight games, inching closer from being eliminated and ending the team's eight-year streak of playoff appearances. Aliaksei Protas scored to end a 36-game goal drought, and Darcy Kuemper finished with 29 saves.
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