WASHINGTON — Before Jay Beagle took the ice for the Capitals in Game 3 against the Rangers on Monday, he stepped on a scale and noted his weight, to use later as a reference point.
Beagle played for only about 13 minutes, but he terrorized the Rangers, racing around, applying pressure, winning the majority of his face-offs. He scored the game’s only goal, hustling for the puck and banking it off two Rangers, as Washington took a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Beagle was sweating heavily. He was working hard, sure, but Verizon Center felt warmer than usual, probably because there was a high of 84 degrees outside that day.