GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NHL: WASHINGTON (5-6) at NY RANGERS (4-7)

NHL: WASHINGTON (5-6) at NY RANGERS (4-7)

<h3>Capitals look to end six-game road slide vs. Rangers</h3>

<div class="pre">Washington (5-6-0) at NY Rangers (4-6-1) 7:00 pm EDT</div>

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Even though the season has not started outquite as well the Washington Capitals would have hoped, they arealso enjoying more success in the season's first month thanthey are used to.


The Capitals look to end their six-game losing streak at MadisonSquare Garden on Thursday when they meet the New York Rangers.

The Capitals, who won as many as five games in the first monthof the season for the first time since the 2001-02 season, are3-3-0 on the road this season. They hope that success can carryover to Madison Square Garden, where they have gone 0-5-1 sincetheir last win on January 28, 2004.


However, Washington may be again missing captain Chris Clark,left wing Alexander Semin and former Ranger defenseman Tom Poti,all of which sat out of its 7-1 win over the Toronto MapleLeafs on Monday.


Left wing Alexander Ovechkin is doing his best to cover fortheir absences as he extended his multi-point game streak tofour in the win over the Maple Leafs, notching nine points overthat span. The NHL's fourth-leading goal scorer from lastseason has been held scoreless in just one contest this season.

For the Rangers, offense has been conspicuously absent for mostof the season despite the presence of right wing Jaromir Jagrand left wing Brendan Shanahan. New York's 19 goals are thefewest in the NHL.


The Rangers have received strong play in net from theirgoaltender Henrik Lundqvist though, as the two-time finalist forthe Vezina Trophy has allowed one goal or less in four of hislast five starts.


New York has won two of its last three homes games, including a3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL AT NY RANGERS
STARTING GOALIES: WAS - OLAF KOLZIG
NYR - HENRIK LUNDQVIST

OFFICIALS: REF - BRIAN POCHMARA, KEVIN POLLOCK
LIN - GREG DEVORSKI, SCOTT DRISCOLL</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">WASHINGTON VS NY RANGERS - SCRATCHES

WASHINGTON NY RANGERS

T POTI GROIN
C CLARK EAR INJURY
A SEMIN ANKLE INJURY</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 19:55 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 15:53 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 13:16 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 10:40 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 8:23 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 5:40 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 2:00 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 0 0
NY RANGERS 0 0 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: NONE

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
WAS 11 11
NYR 7 7

GOALIES: WAS - OLAF KOLZIG
NYR - HENRIK LUNDQVIST</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">------------------------
Washington 0 --0
Ny Rangers 0 --0
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: M Malik, Nyr (holding), 11:12.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
Washington 11 --11
Ny Rangers 7 --7
-----------------------------

Goalies : Washington, Olaf Kolzig (7 shots, 7 saves). Ny Rangers,
Henrik Lundqvist (11 shots, 11 saves). Referees: Brian Pochmara,
Kevin Pollock. Linesmen: Greg Devorski, Scott Driscoll.</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 19:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 16:12 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 15:50 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 0 13:39 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 1
2ND PRD: NYR - CHRIS DRURY 2 (MARC STAAL, BRENDAN SHANAHAN) 6:45</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 1 11:00 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON AT NY RANGERS
NOTE: THE ASSIST BY NEW YORK'S MARC STAAL IN THE SECOND
PERIOD WAS HIS FIRST CAREER NHL POINT.</div>

 

NHL: WASHINGTON at NY RANGERS

<div class="pre">NHL WASHINGTON 0
NY RANGERS 1 7:20 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>