WASHINGTON _ With every point feeling so crucial even at this stage of the season considering the competition in the Metropolitan Division, this felt like a huge opportunity slipped away from the Rangers Friday night.
Washington's Matt Niskanen scored with 3:32 left in the game, and Tom Wilson provided the dagger two minutes later to hand the Rangers a 4-2 loss.
On Niskanen's goal, Lundqvist stopped a long Alex Ovechkin shot but Wilson tipped a rebound right in front over to Niskanen with an open net to put the Capitals ahead.
Jesper Fast, whose single-season career high in goals is 10, tied the game at 2 apiece at 9:37 of the third period, giving him five goals in his last seven games.
It took only 14 seconds for the Capitals to take a lead, Jay Beagle scoring on the first shot of the game. That's all the Rangers would allow despite being outshot 17-9 in the first period.
A bad Michael Grabner pass in the defensive zone hit Mats Zuccarello's skate and deflected toward Nicklas Backstrom, who had all the time and space he could want after gaining possession and went bar-down to double Washington's lead at 11:42 of the second.
But Grabner would redeem himself with 56.9 seconds remaining in the period, beating Braden Holtby stick-side to bring the Rangers within one. J.T. Miller came away with possession from a board battle and fed a wide-open Grabner above the circle.
