Could the Rangers pull off its first two game win streak of the season? Yeah baby! Thanks to Chris Drury’s two point night and Henrik Lundqvist’s third shutout of the season.

The visiting Capitals wanted to set the tone early. They were going to be a more physical team than the one that was tossed around like ragdolls in a 3-1 loss to the Rangers on October 12. To that end, resident goon Donald Brashear lined up for the opening faceoff. Curiously enough, Coach Renney decided to match the Jagr line against the Ovechkin line.

After a lackluster opening 20 minutes that saw the Blueshirts outshot 10-7 they came out with more energy to start the second and were rewarded with the first goal of the game from Chris Drury at 6:45. Drury’s goal came off a nifty deflection of a booming point shot by Marc Staal. Brendan Shanahan picked up the other assist for his 1301^st career point.

Tonight, the buzz going into MSG was, “Would Shanahan get his 1300^th point?” The buzz kill said otherwise. It was announced before the game that Shanahan was given credit for the Blueshirts go-ahead goal against the Bolts on Monday. The goal was originally credited to Jaromir Jagr.

Hope you enjoyed your moment out of the spotlight Brendan. As for the Tampa goal itself? I still say it was Jagr’s, but then again I don’t have a hidef TV and all those blurry pucks passing Shanahan’s blurry skate didn’t look like they connected.

The Rangers escaped the second period with a 1-0 lead. That statistic is notable because the Blueshirts have shown a propensity to bleed goals in the middle frame this year. Half of the goals scored against them this year have occurred in the middle 20 minutes.

The Capitals gameplan to be more physical worked to a point. They were laying the body and Brashear was a presence every time that he was on the ice. Fortunately the Blueshirts, led by Colton Orr, didn’t wilt under the onslaught and gave as good as they got. The Rangers outhit Washington 42-29 on the night.

Despite the physicality both teams were disciplined early. Only one whistle blew in the opening 40 minutes and that was for a Washington powerplay midway through the first period. Both teams traded fruitless powerplay opportunities early in the third until the Rangers were awarded a two man advantage for a full two minutes.

With John Erskine and Brian Sutherby in the box at 9:01 the Rangers applied pressure in the Washington end. Michal Rozsival, cheating on the play, fed Scott Gomez behind the net who in turn returned the puck to Rozsival who by now was standing on the lip of the crease and knocked the pass from Gomez behind Kolzig for the insurance marker at 9:34. Chris Drury picked up his second point of the game on Rozsival’s third goal of the season.

The Rangers then killed off a four minute call to Fedor Tyutin to seal the deal.

It was another textbook display of goaltending by Henrik Lundqvist who quietly turned aside 31 shots for his fifth win of the season.

The Blueshirts could be in trouble as number two D-Man Marek Malik collided awkwardly into the boards and did not return to the game.

ST.RANGER PLAYER OF THE GAME as brought to you by rangerspress.com is Brendan Shanahan. BS could have been the ST.RANGER PLAYER OF THE GAME last time out against the Bolts if we knew he had scored his 1300^th point. But he is rewarded tonight for his 1301^st point.

Up next for the Rangers are Marty Brodeur (3-6-0 .885SA) and the New Jersey Devils (4-6-1) on Saturday night. The Blueshirts defeated the Diablos 2-0 in their first meeting of the year last week at MSG. The Diablos will be playing the back end of back-to-back games after hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night at The Rock.

ST.RANGER THINGS…Sean Avery did not dress against the Caps…thanks to an Andy Bathgate slapshot to the face Jacque Plante wore a mask for the first time in an NHL game this day in 1959 at MSG…Dubinsky, Orr and Hollweg were the surprise starting forwards against the Caps…3-1 record four games into a six game homestand…D-Man Jason Strudwick is still playing as a forward on the 4^th line…Staal’s assist was his first NHL point…Drury had a team high eight shots on goal…Marek Malik had a season high five blocked shots before he left the game…Only 12 more days until Marc Messier enters the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Until next time baby Blueshirts…puck on!

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