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Braden Holtby, Capitals win Game 3 over Rangers

Braden Holtby, Capitals win Game 3 over Rangers

The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers played an energetic and entertaining Game 3. In the end, it was a fluky goal and a brilliant goalie that made the difference.

Jay Beagle scored off the skate of Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle at 7:31 of the second period, and Braden Holtby made 30 saves as the Capitals topped the Rangers, 1-0 on Monday night.

The Capitals’ fourth line accounted for the game’s only goal.

Evgeny Kuznetsov began the play with a dump in off the end boards before making a change. Troy Brouwer barreled in on Marty St. Louis and Dan Girardi on the forecheck, helping to force a turnover that trickled to Andre Burakovsky, who fed Beagle for a chance that Henrik Lundqvist fought off.

"He made a good blocker save," said Beagle. "I just tried to come back around and got a little lucky."

Beagle circled the net after getting his own rebound, and banked the puck off Yandle’s skate for his first of the playoffs.

“We’ve been really stressing about getting in on the forecheck, getting in after it,” said Browuer.

Holtby carried them the rest of the way, including a breakaway save on Martin St. Louis.

“We played smart. At the end of the day, that’s why we won,” said Holtby. “I just tried to do my part.”

The Rangers had 69 shot attempts in the game, 30 of them on goal, and many of them unscreened. Rick Nash, held without a goal in his series, had 15 of them.

The Capitals have yet to lose back-to-back games in the playoffs, and take a 2-1 lead in the series. The Rangers, meanwhile, have lost two one-goal games in this series; in fact, every game of their postseason, eight games in total, have been decided by a single goal.

“They’ve all been real tight. We don’t expect anything different.”

Game 4 is Wednesday night in Washington.