BRI AND MIGHTY: Brian Boyle (second from left) celebrates his goal with teammates during the Rangers’ 4-1 triumph over the Capitals yesterday in Washington. It was the Blueshirts’ fifth win in their past six games. (NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — Halfway through a season in which the Rangers have struggled to create and maintain an identity, the club’s cup is half-full rather than half-empty.
For yesterday afternoon’s 4-1 victory over the Capitals — in which the Blueshirts dominated the final 50 minutes — likely represented the Rangers’ most effective three-zone, lockdown performance of the season.
“I think there are still parts of our game that everyone would like to clear up, but I think that we’re getting there,” Derek Stepan said after his team’s fifth win in the last six matches boosted the Blueshirts to 13-9-2. “This was one where we were really good from the middle of the first period on, but it wasn’t a great 60 minutes.
“That’s what we’re trying to do, to play a perfect 60 minutes,” added Stepan, whose goal at 11:31 of the first negated a softie yielded by Marty Biron to Steve Oleksy just 2:16 into the match. “We haven’t gotten there yet so we’ll keep working on that.”
The Rangers were outstanding defensively, both up front and on the back end. Ryan McDonagh, paired again with Dan Girardi most of the game, excelled in his match against Alex Ovechkin. The Blueshirts were strong on the forecheck and in the neutral zone as well.
If this were an important one for the Rangers, who have games in Buffalo, Winnipeg and Pittsburgh before their next at the Garden, it was almost a critical one for Brian Boyle, reinserted into the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Friday.
Coach John Tortorella has been pointed in his criticism of Boyle, whom he had previously scratched for an earlier spell of three games.
“Brian knows where he stands,” Tortorella said before the match. “He has to play better, period.”
Boyle played better for three periods against the Caps, not only breaking a 1-1 tie at 10:53 of the second on a drive from the top of the left circle for his first goal of the season, but asserting himself physically throughout.
“I tried to start a new season, basically, and put myself in position to do the things I do well,” Boyle said. “It’s kind of like the first 18, 19 games or whatever are down the toilet.”
The center paused briefly before answering when asked if he did in fact “know where he stands.”
“I know what I should be and I know what I’m supposed to be on this team and I’m going to make sure that’s what I’m going to be,” Boyle said.
Tortorella had said before the game he was searching for linemates to team with J.T. Miller, who had become the team’s third-line center even though the coach prefers to use the 19-year-old — 20 on Thursday — on the wing.
Boyle became at least the temporary fix, moving up from the fourth line to the third at the start of the second while Miller shifted to the right and Taylor Pyatt remained on the left. Darroll Powe was bumped to the fourth line.
When Boyle scored, it marked the first goal by a player on either the Rangers’ third or fourth units since Aaron Asham — sidelined for nine straight with a lower back issue — scored on Feb. 10 against the Lightning in the Rangers’ 11th game.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can play; we have depth,” said Boyle, whose goal was followed 41 seconds later by a Ryan Callahan power-play score. “I want to be a part of it. If I’m going the way I should be, we’re a better team.”
The Rangers are becoming a better team. They’ve become a firmer club to go against.
“I think we’re beginning to sort ourselves out in how we play,” Tortorella said. “We’re doing it more consistently.”