WASHINGTON – Mika Zibanejad scored the starting goal with 2:32, Keith Kinkaid made 28 saves and the Rangers beat the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Saturday night to secure the NHL’s longest winning streak at seven .
The Rangers have won three of four against Washington, leader of the Eastern Division, this season. The Rangers led much of the game Friday night before losing with two late goals from Alex Ovechkin.
It looked like a similar recipe on Friday after Pavel Buchnevich gave the Rangers the lead at the end of the first period with his eleventh goal of the season with a perfect pass from defender Adam Fox. John Carlson equalized on a rebound at 2:05 p.m., and the Capitals threatened a guaranteed power play.
But Kinkaid kept the Rangers in the game and Zibanejad, who exploded by three goals and three assists in the Rangers ’9-0 victory over the Flyers, won it almost individually. He chased the capital defender Brenden Dillon into the offensive zone, stole the puck and fired in front of Ilya Samsonov.
The Rangers bench exploded before Zibanejad arrived to celebrate his unassisted goal and the seventh of the season after a hard start. Brett Howden sealed it with an empty net with 28 seconds left.
Kinkaid, the Rangers’ third goalie, got his second win of the season a week after closing out the Boston Bruins. He and Alexandar Georgiev are still rotating with Igor Shesterkin still out with a groin strain.
Samsonov allowed two goals in 24 shots. Washington lost for the first time since March 5 in Boston.