NEW YORK _ Mats Zuccarello scored at 8:47 of the third period to lift the Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals, the team with the most points in the NHL, in Sunday's matinee at Madison Square Garden.
Center Mika Zibanejad, whose apparent power-play goal in the first period was disallowed because the play was offside, pushed the puck forward on a left-side faceoff in the Capitals' zone, Chris Kreider got to it and found Zuccarello between the circles for a low wrister that hit the corner past goalie Philipp Grubauer from 20 feet. It was the Norwegian winger's third goal in the last eight games.
Henrik Lundqvist finished with 31 saves, including two with his pads on Marcus Johansson at the doorstep after Grubauer was pulled for an extra attacker in the final minute.
After dropping a 4-2 decision in Brooklyn on Thursday, the Rangers (38-19-1) dominated the first period, unleashing 19 shots on Grubauer, and Ryan McDonagh put the Rangers ahead at 7:49. The Rangers captain grabbed a rebound in front, backed off for a better shooting position, and snapped in a top-shelf wrister for his third of the season.
In the second, the Capitals, who had lost, 3-2, in a shootout in Detroit on Saturday afternoon after their five-day bye, began generating more dangerous chances.
Oscar Lindberg was called for high-sticking at 2:09 and Alex Ovechkin, with an open look, fanned on a pass in his favorite spot in the left circle. Lundqvist had to come up big several times, particularly on a shot from Brett Connolly between the circles and with a right skate save on Tom Wilson. In between, Daniel Winnik had Lundqvist dead to rights and dinged the left post.
With Kreider off for interference at 15:43, Ovechkin tied the score. After a huge shot block and clear by McDonagh _ triggering chants of "MD, MD" from the crowd _ the Capitals' power play clicked. Lars Eller fed Ovechkin in the circle again and his wrister deflected off Rangers defenseman Nick Holden and went past Lundqvist's glove side at 17:24 for his 27th goal.
