Marc Staal clears a puck as Henrik Lundqvist watches closely.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Henrik Lundqvist was back to being at his best. The Rangers followed suit by returning to the kind of defensive style we’re used to. The end result was a 2-0 shutout of the Caps. Lundqvist stopped 22 en route to his first shutout of the season. It was his 46th career shutout.

A strong second period is where the game was won. The Rangers followed a solid road period by dominating the Caps in all facets. They outshot Washington 21-6. Most notably, they broke through twice on Braden Holtby. Defenseman John Moore one-timed a Brad Richards feed through for his first. They weren’t done. Ryan Callahan scored his third in two games after a power play expired. With Alex Ovechkin out of the box, the Rangers never gave up the puck. Eventually, Callahan snuck in and batted in a rebound lacrosse style making it 2-0. Richards and Derick Brassard drew the assists. The goals came 1:46 apart.

Playing better defensively, the Rangers focused on keeping Ovechkin to the perimeter. The league leader in shots on goal still managed to get eight on Lundqvist while attempting 13 total. The most dangerous chance came on a five on three during the first with it scoreless. With Anton Stralman already off for a hook, Taylor Pyatt also went into the sin bin for a hook handing the Caps a huge chance. This is the best ranked power play clicking at over 35 percent coming in. Despite passing the puck around like the Globe Trotters, Lundqvist stifled Ovechkin and Joel Ward missed a gimme. The Rangers survived by relying on Hank and doing what they do best. Block shots. The blocked 22. Dan Girardi was a machine getting in the path of four. Stralman also blocked four. Even Mats Zuccarello awkwardly blocked two.

This is who they are. It doesn’t matter who coaches. If the team is going to come together and win games, they must play as a unit. I didn’t particularly care for how they sat back in the third. The Caps had more of the territorial play outshooting the Rangers 8-4. But none were particularly threatening. I never got the feeling they would score. Lundqvist was sharp from the outset playing more aggressive than I can remember. He challenged shooters by coming way out. With the Caps pressing late, that aggression forced John Carlson to go for the corner, which he missed.

Lundqvist has shut out the Caps three straight games dating back to last Spring. That’s 180 straight minutes without allowing a goal to a good offense. Watching Washington overpass the puck with Mike Green opting not to shoot during one sequence is proof that Hank is in their heads. A great goalie can do that even to some of the best players. The combination of our D which included a security blanket from hustling forwards made it impossible for the Caps to get going. They were held to 14 shots through two periods and totaled 22 for the game.

When it was over, the Ranger fans at Verizon Center were left cheering while Cap fans exited. And the best aspect. We didn’t hear that annoying goal horn once except for period’s start. That’s six straight periods that ugly siren hasn’t been heard for Cap celebrations. Music to my ears.

Moore Goals: Defenseman John Moore celebrates his second period goal with Ryan McDonagh.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon

HARD HITS:

-The fourth line of Pyatt, Brian Boyle and Derek Dorsett played well giving the team a boost with some strong shifts. At times, Jesper Fast was on it. They forechecked effectively and injected energy while playing defensively responsible.

-Richards continued to look like a much different player. His two assists added to a team-leading seven points (4-3-7). He spoke during intermission about working really hard. It’s showing on the power play where his decision making is much better. He’s shooting the puck and making intelligent reads. Looks like early vindication for not wanting him bought out.

–Justin Falk was solid in place of Mike Del Zotto. He lost a scrap to Caps rookie Tom Wilson in the first but was okay defensively. He delivered three hits and had two blocks in 15 shifts (8:57) while staying out of the box. Exactly what Alain Vigneault wanted.

-Aside from sacrificing, the Rangers were physical registering 35 hits to the Caps’ 21. Captain Cally paced them with five and Danny G had four. Only two skaters (Stepan, Miller) didn’t have a hit.

-Speaking of the captain, Callahan was a beast not only scoring one of those cool goals that makes 24 number one in Blueshirt hearts. But he was all over the ice leading with six shots and blocking two shots. In 28 big shifts, he was plus-one in 22:06.

-With an assist and a much sharper game back with Girardi, Ryan McDonagh was stellar defensively matched against Ovechkin. In 30 shifts, he recorded his first point and was plus-two in 25:14. To borrow a cheesy line from a 90’s movie, “The Shadow Knows!”

–Benoit Pouliot still is searching for his first point. He has moments where you don’t notice him and then occasional bursts like the late chance he got on a mini-break which Holtby snuffed out. He needs to find the back of the net soon.

-Great hustle from Dominic Moore following a turnover. He came back hard and made a diving block to deny a Cap bid. He had three hits and won 6 of 11 draws. The Harvard man only knows one way to play.

-The Rangers lost the faceoff battle 37-31 with Cap center Nicklas Backstrom winning 15 of 22. Jay Beagle was 6 for 6. Moore was their best going 6 and 5 while Brassard lost 10 of 22. Richards took some early going 3 and 2. Boyle struggled losing 11 of 16 and Stepan was 5 and 7. Coincidentally, Pouliot went 2 and 0.

-Refs Chris Rooney and Justin St. Pierre missed obvious interference penalty on Troy Brouwer, who inadvertently caught Stepan with a shoulder high. I didn’t think he saw him. He was going for a change. Still worth pointing out Stepan was hurt and missed a few shifts before returning for a power play. Glad he was okay.

Puck Daddy writer Greg Wyshynski had a little more detail on the incident with Vigneault upset with Brouwer feeling it was a head shot. He gave it to Rooney a bit who contested that it was more accidental.

“I just looked at the replay there. If he couldn’t see him, I don’t know what else he was looking at,” said Vigneault, after the Rangers’ 2-0 win. “Obviously the principal point of contact was the head, so we’ll see.”

Brouwer spoke about the incident showing concern for Stepan.

“I was at the end of my shift, [defenseman Mike] Green had the puck and was pulling it out of our zone. I was going for a change and there was a little incidental contact in the neutral zone,” he said.

“I’m glad to see that he came back and wasn’t seriously hurt after it, those can be tough plays and I pride myself on being an honest player and tried to get out of the way without causing as much damage as possible.”

I don’t need to see it again. I don’t view Brouwer as a dirty player. I think it’s exactly what he said. There shouldn’t be any discipline.