New York Rangers cannot solve Charlie Lindgren in loss to Capitals

This makes it back to back defeats in disappointing performances for the New York Rangers as they were unable to solve Charlie Lindgren. Two consecutive games where the margin of defeat has been at least four goals. This team has earned the right to struggle a little due to the success they started the season with, but there need to be some concerns about how the roster is playing with all these injuries.

43 seconds into the game, the Rangers would find themselves trailing the game. John Carlson and Martin Fehervary combined to set up Sonny Milano out in front and the injured Rangers did not start the game off well after their brutal performance at the Canadian Tyre Center. New York now had it all to do if they were going to chase the game correctly and get back into the win column.

Less than two minutes into the second period, the Capitals would tally again. Rasmus Sandin and Evgeny Kuznetsov combined to set up Anthony Mantha and double the Washington lead over the visiting Rangers. New York were starting to look lost as they were just being brutalized by their Metropolitan Division opponents. There had been a lot of really good chances for the team in white, it was just a case of trying to beat Charlie Lindgren and get back into the game.

Washington would make it 3-0 soon after. A little more than five minutes gone into the second period, Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin come into the Rangers zone in a 2-on-1 on Jacob Trouba. Wilson fires the shot and it finds the top corner above the glove of Igor Shesterkin, and the Rangers were in desperate need of a comeback. With the offense struggling the way it had been, the Rangers were going to need a lot more from their team.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel would make it 4-0 to ensure the rout was on in Capital One Arena. Erik Gustafsson was beat back to the pick on a delayed icing call. Washington force the puck out front, and the Rangers are now out of the game, needing a San Jose Sharks esque comeback to have any shot of winning this game. On the first half of a back-to-back, this was far from an ideal situation.

New York's defeat means that their lead at the top of the Metropolitan Division could be as little as four points if the Carolina Hurricanes are able to win later on tonight. New York need to figure out what is going on right now because this is not the team we have come to expect over the first quarter of the season. This squad seems to have gotten worse since bringing Adam Fox back off IR.