In a potential first round playoff preview, the Rangers ran through their final game before the trade deadline.
Washington escaped the Eastern Conference as one of the most dominant teams in the NHL this season. After Tom Wilson scored a 3-2 victory at Madison Square Garden, he wiped out the Rangers in all three meetings.
These were two points that were easy for the Rangers to take. The Rangers are well aware of the most unsettling needs they can get right now.
The Rangers gave up 12 goals leading the league in the first two minutes of Wednesday night's game. Pierre Look Dubois put a backhand feed from Wilson and scored just a minute after the pack was dropped.
Zack Jones, skating in his fourth straight game, was then shown on both sides of the pack.
The 24-year-old defensive man first blocked the shot before the outlet pass passed to Alexis La Freniere.
Lafreniere entered the zone and returned to Jones. Jones whipped the puck from Artemi Panarin's long distances to redirect Capitals goalkeeper Charlie Lindgren.
During the four-minute power play from Esen Frank's double minor high-stacking penalty, they only managed to score one shot in goal during a four-minute power play at Brett Bellard, but the Rangers were humming in the offensive zone.
K'Andre Miller operated a dynamic keep-in on the blue line before sending the pack back. There, Sam Carrick collected it and backhanded it, leading the Rangers to a 2-1 lead in just eight minutes of the second period.
That's when the ice temperature rises.
Wilson faced Matt Lempe before Carrick fought Brandon Duheim.
Martin Fehervary and Matt Roy were later combined for a hit from behind Brennan Othmann, who was shaken in the sequence.
Rookie Jusso Parssinen came to Othmann's defense and dropped his gloves for the second time in three NHL seasons.
Several of his new Ranger teammates skated towards the box to give him props.
But while Jones was in the box to hook third, Alex Ovechkin set the goal for the ninth power play of the season, tying the game into two.
He moved him within 10 goals of Wayne Gretzky's highest score ever.
