3 least impressive players from New York Rangers 1-0 shutout loss to Washington Capitals ft. Will Borgen

The New York Rangers suffered a tough-luck loss against the Washington Capitals on Sunday night, getting shut out 1-0 at Madison Square Garden.

Anthony Beauvillier had the game’s lone goal, tipping in a shot from Alexander Ovechkin at the 13:47 mark of the second period. Charlie Lindgren made 35 saves for the clean sheet in his season debut.

Meanwhile, New York Rangers backup netminder Jonathan Quick made 20 of 21 saves on the night. Both teams were playing in back-to-back games. The Capitals defeated the New York Islanders on Saturday, 4-2. The Rangers pounded the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-1, but could not score against the Capitals.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive New York Rangers players from their shutout loss to the Washington Capitals on Sunday night.

3 least impressive New York Rangers players from shutout loss to Washington Capitals

#3 Braden Schneider

Braden Schneider didn’t have what could be called a “bad game” on Sunday night. However, his role in the Capitals’ lone goal is worth taking a closer look at. Here’s the goal:

On the play, Ovechkin rifles a shot on goal. Schneider is standing in Ovechkin’s line of sight, but doesn’t move to block the shot. Instead, the shot hits Beauvillier’s stick and heads into the net. The most interesting point is that Beauvillier comes all the way from behind the net, with no one picking him up.

By the time Schneider reacts, it’s too late to prevent Beauvillier from getting into the play. The misplay was costly, especially as it was the game’s only goal.

#2 Urho Vaakanainen

Urho Vaakanainen had a decent game on the night. He played in 14:10 over 17 shifts. He registered two shots and one block. That’s not bad for a night’s work, except that he got burned on the game’s only goal.

The entire sequence in the New York Rangers’ zone was rather unfortunate, as no one picked up Ovechkin lurking at the top of the right circle. The Rangers conceded Ovechkin’s shot, one that led to the goal.

Vaakanainen hasn’t played badly for the Rangers this season, but given his role as a third-pairing blueliner, he’ll need to continue showing consistency moving forward.

#1 Will Borgen

While Will Borgen was not a part of the Capitals’ goal, he did have a relatively unimpressive night for the New York Rangers.

Borgen committed several turnovers that led to scoring chances by the Capitals. Fortunately, none of those turnovers translated into goals.

However, it’s mildly concerning to see one of the team’s regular blueliners commit consistent turnovers. The turnovers may not have lead to goals on Sunday night. But there will be games in which turnovers end up in the back of the net.

The Rangers will be back in action on Tuesday night as they host the Edmonton Oilers at MSG.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan