Maybe, with their head coach David Quinn back behind the bench after missing the previous games because of COVID-19, the Rangers were super relaxed. Or maybe they were naturally sluggish because they were playing a second game in 23 hours and a third game in 3 1/2 days.
Whatever the reason, the Rangers found themselves on the ropes after two periods Sunday in Washington, after Tom Wilson scored two goals and Alex Ovechkin one in the middle period for the East Division-leading Washington Capitals. Ultimately, that deficit proved too much to overcome as the Rangers’ furious third-period surge wasn’t enough to rescue them from a 5-4 loss to the Capitals in the finale of their three-game road trip.