Dark New York post - New York Rangers offense breaks out, but Washington Capitals win slugfest, 6-5 ...

New York

BY Kristie Ackert

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Originally Published:Thursday, February 4th 2010, 10:14 PM

Updated: Thursday, February 4th 2010, 10:14 PM

Capitals 6, Rangers 5

Olli Jokinen gave the Rangers the offensive boost they needed. It's too bad he can't play defense and kill penalties.

With Jokinen making his Garden debut as a Blueshirt, the Rangers scored more Thursday night than they had in their last two games combined, but had no answer for Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals, who converted three times on nine power-play opportunities to beat the Rangers, 6-5.

The loss was the seventh in the last eight games for the Rangers (25-26-7), while the Capitals (39-12-6) extended their winning streak to 12 straight.

"You plug one hole and a couple others spring up, mainly our discipline tonight," John Tortorella said. "We can't be sitting in the box as much as we did tonight."

The Rangers busted out of an 0-for-25 power play drought with a season-high 4 goals. Jokinen, Ryan Callahan, Vinny Prospal and Brandon Dubinsky all scored with the man advantage, with Prospal adding another goal at even strength.

But the Rangers had their own parade to the penalty box, two of Washington's three power play goals, by Tom Poti and Nicklas Backstrom in the third period, lifting the Caps to a victory that gave them the best record in the NHL, one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks.

"We could have defended some of it better, some of the calls were phantom calls and some of them were undisciplined penalties by us," Tortorella said. "That's how you get a total of nine. Down a man nine times tonight, you can't do that against that club."

Jokinen, despite his two-point night in his first home game since Monday night's four-player trade with the Flames, was in the box for two of the Capitals' goals, including Backstrom's game-winner.

"It's disappointing," Jokinen said. "We have to find a way to stay out of the penalty box. Our power play was good. We scored five goals at home. We have to find a way to win."

Mostly, the Rangers have been finding a way to lose lately - their last three defeats have each been by one goal - 3-2 in Phoenix, 2-1 in Los Angeles and 6-5 last night.

"There has been a lot of talk about not scoring enough on the power play, but we were so good on the power play and we still didn't win the game," said goalie Henrik Lundqvist (26 saves). "Every game it is different. We battled really good. We play hard. I don't know. I don't know. I just don't know what else to say.

"We just have to keep believing we can do it."

They did it for two periods last night, holding a lead against the league's hottest team before wilting in the third. After blitzing Jose Theodore's net for five goals on 32 shots in the first two periods, though, the Rangers mustered just six attempts on goal in the final 20 minutes, and their skid continues.