Merry Capsmas, friends. <\/p>\n
Tonight, the Washington Capitals will play their final game before a three-day Christmas break against the New York Rangers \u2013 a team that is horrendous at home (5-10-3) and almost unbeatable away from Madison Square Garden (13-6-1). If you want me to explain that, I can\u2019t. Weird flex.<\/p>\n
The Capitals will be without Tom Wilson (sick) and Rasmus Sandin (upper-body injury)<\/a>. Ryan Leonard is back, though, taking Ivan Miroshnichenko\u2019s spot on the NHL roster.<\/a><\/p>\n Logan Thompson will return to the twine and oppose Igor Shesterkin.<\/p>\n Puck drop for today\u2019s game is scheduled for a little after 7 pm. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call on Monumental Sports Network 2 \u2014 The Dos.<\/p>\n Get RMNB ad-free<\/p>\n Support us on Patreon for $5 to hide all ads and get other perks<\/p>\n More Info<\/a><\/p>\n Lines McMichael<\/p>\n Sourdif<\/p>\n Ovechkin<\/p>\n New York Rangers<\/p>\n Panarin<\/p>\n Zibanejad<\/p>\n Lafreniere<\/p>\n Perreault<\/p>\n Trocheck<\/p>\n Cuylle<\/p>\n Tunnel shenanigans<\/p>\n 1st Period<\/p>\n Puck is dropped. Protas-Strome-Leonard and Fehervary-Carlson get the start.<\/p>\n Horrible turnover seconds in by the Caps in front of the net (Fehervary\/Carlson). Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re dekes Logan Thompson out of position, but rings his point-blank range shot off the post.<\/p>\n Capitals have the first 5 shots on goal. Rangers not generating anything.<\/p>\n Ryan Leonard (#9) takes a four-minute double minor on Jonny Brodzinski at 7:49. Leonard missed with his stick check and clipped Brodzinski in the nose, bloodying him. Caps have killed 30 of their last 34 power plays they\u2019ve faced.<\/p>\n We were THIS close to a Trevor van Riemsdyk shorty after some great work by Aliaksei Protas getting the puck into the zone.<\/p>\n Caps kill the penalty. Capital One Arena is very loud tonight.<\/p>\n Rangers connect on a three-on-two break and oh hey \u2013 former Capital Taylor Raddysh scores! Perfect. Right after a completely unnecessary tribute video, too.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 1-0 New York Rangers<\/p>\n Goal: Taylor Raddysh (6). Assists: J. Brodzinski (4), B. Schneider (6). Time: 14:57<\/p>\n At intermission: The Rangers lead 1-0. The Capitals lead in shots on goal 6 to 5.<\/p>\n 2nd Period<\/p>\n Puck is dropped.<\/p>\n The sea parts and Carlson walks into the slot and scores. Great shot and all but how does NYR not guard Carly at all there.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 1-1 tie<\/p>\n Goal: John Carlson (8). Assists: A. Protas (11), R. Leonard (12). Time: 0:23<\/p>\n Carlson with another opportunity, just missing on a one-timer attempt.<\/p>\n Ryan Leonard has himself a breakaway after deking a Rangers defenseman to the ice, but he\u2019s tripped to the ice as he tries to backhand the puck home. He seems to be hurting a little. Matthew Robertson is to the box for slashing at 3:57. The Capitals are going to their first power play.<\/p>\n Ryan Leonard dekes Rangers defender out of his skates, springing himself on breakaway<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Sourdif, who for some reason is on the second power-play unit (he has fewer points than Matt Roy), just passed the puck out of the zone.<\/p>\n Ovechkin misses from the slot. Ovechkin misses the net on a one-timer. Ovechkin has a one-timer blocked.<\/p>\n Sourdif, who is set up in front of the net, misses a wide-open chance. <\/p>\n Capitals back to the power play after Carson Soucy holds Nic Dowd at 8:29.<\/p>\n Shesterkin saves a Leonard tip. Strome has a wide open net and Shesterkin somehow makes the save with his glove. Officials are reviewing at 8:40 to see if Shesterkin\u2019s glove crossed the goal line.<\/p>\n OFficials rule that\u2019s a goal. I personally did not see that cross the goal line, I may need to look closer at some more replays, stunned that maybe at best a 50\/50 play that\u2019s ruled no goal is a goal.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 2-1 Washington Capitals<\/p>\n PPG: Dylan Strome (7). Assists: C. McMichael (14), R. Leonard (13). Time: 8:40<\/p>\n Okay, this look is definitely definitive.<\/p>\n Connor McMichael to the box for tripping Vincent Trocheck (he dived) at 10:54.<\/p>\n Zibanejad finds Cuylle on the doorstep with an incredible pass. And we\u2019re tied again.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 2-2 tie<\/p>\n PPG: Will Cuylle (10). Assists: M. Zibanejad (16), V. Trocheck (12). Time: 11:14<\/p>\n 57 seconds later, the Capitals take the lead back. What an incredible play by Sonny Milano to shoot it into Igor Shesterkin\u2019s pads and find Aliaksei Protas for a rebound goal. Protas has goals in 3 of his last 4.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 3-2 Washington Capitals<\/p>\n Goal: Aliaksei Protas (13). Assists: S. Milano (3), H. Lapierre (6). Time: 12:11<\/p>\n At intermission: What a period! Caps lead 3-2 and lead in shots on goal 20 to 10.<\/p>\n 3rd Period<\/p>\n Puck is dropped<\/p>\n Panarin nearly scores on his first shift, but Logan Thompson goes to the splits to make a huge glove save.<\/p>\n Soucy takes a huge hit from Alex Ovechkin at the corner boards.<\/p>\n Ovechkin then takes a cross-checking penalty at 2:27 of the third.<\/p>\n Capitals kill the penalty.<\/p>\n Raddysh\u2019s shot hits off Roy, bounces off the post, and goes in. lkadsflkadsjflkads<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 3-3 New York Rangers<\/p>\n Goal: Taylor Raddysh (7). Assists: W. Cuylle (12), N. Laba (7). Time: 8:10<\/p>\n What an insane deflection by Lafreniere. Off an Artemi Panarin point shot.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 4-3 New York Rangers<\/p>\n Goal: Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re (8). Assists: A. Panarin (24), S. Morrow (3). Time: 9:18<\/p>\n Ovi is yelling at himself skating back to the bench.<\/p>\n Trocheck scores in front of the net. This one appears close to be over.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 5-3 New York Rangers<\/p>\n Goal: Vincent Trocheck (7). Assists: J. Brodzinski (5), G. Perreault (3). Time: 13:43<\/p>\n Logan Thompson is off the ice for an extra attacker around the four minute mark.<\/p>\n Sigh. Touchdown, Rangers.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 6-3 New York Rangers<\/p>\n ENG: Artemi Panarin (14). Assists: M. Zibanejad (17), A. Lafreni\u00e8re (12). Time: 17:44<\/p>\n And the extra point is good.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n 7-3 New York Rangers<\/p>\n Goal: Vincent Trocheck (8). Assists: W. Cuylle (13). Time: 18:09<\/p>\n Maddening.<\/p>\n Caps lose 7-3. <\/p>\n An absolutely catastrophic Christmastime collapse : Rangers beat Capitals 7-3<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n NOT SO FUN FACT.<\/p>\n The Capitals have lost 10 of their last 21 games with Justin Sourdif in the top six. <\/p>\n He has 8 pts (1g, 7a) during that stretch while skating with some of the best five-on-five players in the NHL.<\/p>\n Great analytics, but he’s hurting the team playing so high in the lineup.<\/p>\n \u2014 Ian Oland (@ianoland) December 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Comment below. Refresh for live updates during the game. The thread will be closed shortly after the game is completed.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t
\nWashington Capitals<\/p>\n