NY Rangers Remain Red Hot in Victory Against Washington Capitals

The New York Rangers were able to keep up their winning ways against the Washington Capitals on Sunday.

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Adam Sykora (38) celebrates his goal with center Noah Laba (42) during the second period against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers came into their Sunday matchup against the Washington Capitals playing some good hockey of late, and they were able to put together one of their best performances of the campaign. 

Even though the 2025-26 campaign might not have been what the team would have envisioned, the Rangers are playing some good hockey down the stretch. While winning might hurt their chances of getting a top pick in the NHL Draft Lottery, New York has been playing hard down the stretch, and that is encouraging to see. 

This is a team that has a lot of young players in the lineup, and these guys are trying to prove that they belong and want to win. In their recent win against Detroit, it was former first-round pick Gabe Perreault who was able to record a hat-trick in one of the best games of his young career. 

While the performance by Perreault helped them win that one, New York was even more impressive in the second half of their back-to-back. Furthermore, for the second straight game, a member of New York was able to record a hat-trick, this time with it being Will Cuylle. On Sunday, the Rangers were able to completely dismantle the Capitals by a score of 8-1 in a game that Washington needed to have to continue their hot streak. 

New York Stays Hot

New York Rangers left wing Will Cuylle / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

With the win over the Capitals, the Rangers were able to continue their strong play of late, and they have now won five of their last six games. While it might be too little too late in terms of making the playoffs, the team is clearly looking to set the tone for next season. 

While New York could easily be benching some of their veterans, like Igor Shesterkin, they are instead trying to do all they can to win. On Sunday, while their talented goalie played very well, it was the offensive production that really stood out. 

In the offensive outburst by New York, they had multiple players record multi-point games, and it was a really impressive showing for the Rangers. As the season comes to an end, the team has certainly caught fire, and they are beating playoff contenders that need to be getting points down the stretch. 

The Rangers will just have four games remaining on the season, with their final home game of the season coming up against the Buffalo Sabres. New York recently just helped the Sabres snap their lengthy playoff drought when they beat the Red Wings. Now, they will be hoping to continue their winning ways against them on Wednesday.