November 10, 2010, Washington Capitals-New York Rangers game story for Metro NYC Newspaper

Caps roll over Rangers

NEW YORK

10 November 2010 02:03

Henrik Lundqvist slammed his stick against a wall in frustration as he stomped off the ice and toward the Rangers’ dressing room. A lone voice shouted an obscenity.

Individually, it could be viewed as blowing off steam. Collectively, it is a glimpse into the psyche of an angry and perturbed team.

“We are right in it. We are right there. We did a lot of good things. You just have to find a way to win,” Henrik Lundqvist said after the Rangers’ 5-3 Garden loss to the Capitals last night. The Rangers have lost three of five and dropped to 2-5-1 on home ice.

Matt Hendricks’ second goal of the season was the game-winner at 7:53 in the third period. Brooks Laich scored two goals, including an empty-netter with six second remaining to seal the Caps’ fifth win in a row.

An entertaining match and a mostly solid effort from the Rangers was overshadowed by referees Justin St. Pierre and Don VanMassenhoven, as the duo comported themselves as incompetent amateurs. St. Pierre and VanMassenhoven called a baffling trip on Erik Christensen in the first period when John Carlson lost an edge in the corners. Later in the first, they missed Hendricks’ knee-to-knee hit on Steve Eminger at center ice. They waved off an apparent Ruslan Fedotenko second period goal, claiming that the Rangers’ left wing collided into Michael Neuvirth before the puck slid into the net when replay showed that Fedotenko was tied up with a defenseman prior to the collision.

Fedotenko said that a referee told him that he could “fight for your ice but don’t collide with the goalie” before suggesting that he thought it was a good goal.

Dan Girardi had a disgusted look on his face but did not answer when asked about St. Pierre and VanMassenhoven. Brian Boyle said “the refs were the same for both teams,” while John Tortorella tersely stated “I have no opinion” on the disallowed Fedotenko goal and “I’m not commenting on” the referees.

The Rangers had a 2-1 lead after the first period due to two goals off Boyle’s stick. Boyle opened the scoring at 4:02 into the match by redirecting a Dan Girardi pass under Neuvirth. Laich tied the game 4:50 later with a 4-on-3 power play backhander under Lundqvist. Boyle accepted a bad clearing pass from Karl Alzner a second before he snapped a power play goal over Neuvirth glove side with 7:04 left in the period.

John Erskine tied the game at 2-2 2:34 into the second period with a slapper from the point that beat Lundqvist stickside. 41 seconds after Erskine’s goal, Derek Boogaard’s first goal in since January 7, 2006, allowed the Rangers to re-take the lead, 3-2. Boogaard bore down on Tyler Sloan, who lost the puck in the offensive zone. The Rangers enforcer grabbed the puck, skated down the left wing and ripped a Gretzkian slap shot from the faceoff circle.

“It was great. It was a huge goal. It’s good for him,” Boyle said of Boogaard’s marker. “It’s been a few games since he scored. So that’s great.”

Mike Knuble evened the game at 3-3 with a wrister at 9:18 of the period. The goal was his second of the season.

“We knew we could come back. It doesn’t matter what the score is. Just play our game, play our system and we deserve to win,” Alex Ovechkin said. Ovechkin had two assists, took three shots on goal and was plus-one on the night. “If we get the lead in the third period, we usually win the game. We score one goal in the third period, they didn’t score and we won the game.”

DENIS GORMAN

http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/687765--caps-roll-over-rangers--page0