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Callahan helps Rangers end slide in shootout

Feb 12, 2009 - 4:41 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- A fortunate bounce helped the New York Rangers end their slide.

Ryan Callahan scored the decisive goal in the fourth round of the shootout after recording a tally and an assist in regulation as the Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.

Rookie Lauri Korpikoski netted a goal and set up another and Markus Naslund and defenseman Paul Mara also tallied in regulation for the Rangers, who had lost their previous five meetings with the Capitals - including three this season.

"I thought it was the most desperation we have shown in a long time," New York captain Chris Drury said. "We kept battling back. We were down one, kept battling back. It was a big two points."

Washington blue-liner Mike Green scored twice, extending his goal-scoring streak to seven games - tying an NHL record for defensemen set by Mike O'Connell during the 1983-84 season.

"Hopefully it can keep going, but it feels pretty special," Green said. "Honestly, I didn't even realize it until a couple of days ago. It was yesterday, actually. I tried not to think about it before the game, but I'm pretty happy about it."

Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr collected a goal and an assist apiece for the Capitals, who had won four of their previous five contests.

With the shootout even at one goal apiece, Callahan unleashed a wrist shot that hit the crossbar. The puck then bounced off the back of netminder Jose Theodore's pad before trickling across the goal line.

"It was real big, especially with what's been going on lately," Callahan said. "We could have easily went and put our head down and said, 'Here we go again.' But I think we showed some character coming back and getting right in there. I think it was a big character win for us."

"To be honest, I thought when it hits the crossbar and when it comes back out, I thought it was no play," Theodore said. "I didn't know where the puck was, obviously, but I knew it wasn't going in. I was just trying to get out of the way because for me, it was no goal. And obviously, I was wrong. It's a lesson that I learned. For next time, I'll be aware."

Callahan, who opened the scoring at 7:33 of the first period, also hit the goalpost early in the middle session.

"A little bit of justice," Callahan said. "It was good to get a good bounce there and get the shot off I wanted to. I hit the crossbar and I didn't think it went in. I looked back and saw it going back into the net. It was a good break. It was a good win for us."

All-Star Henrik Lundqvist, who made 26 saves during regulation and overtime, then stopped Brooks Laich's attempt to secure the win for the Rangers.

"We really needed that," Lundqvist said. "We needed that confidence. We needed those points. We battled, we played hard."

Nigel Dawes gave New York an early advantage in the bonus format, beating Theodore to the glove side with a quick snap shot in the second round. But All-Star Alex Ovechkin, who leads the league with 37 goals this season, answered in the third round by firing a snapper between the pads of Lundqvist.

Green gave the Capitals a 3-2 edge with 9:28 remaining in the second period, taking a pass from Ovechkin at the left point and beating a screened Lundqvist with a wrist shot.

After Naslund and Mara scored for the Rangers, Green netted another goal with 58 seconds left in the second. Taking a drop pass from former Ranger Michael Nylander, Green unleashed a slap shot from the left faceoff circle that sailed past Lundqvist to tie the contest at 4-4.

"We kind of gave up some goals there and we were desperate for another one, and Michael made a good play to draw two guys to him," Green said. "I went down the wall, and it was a little bit of a screen. I just shot it post side and he didn't see it."

The 23-year-old Green, who leads all NHL defensemen with 21 tallies this season, has recorded nine goals and 16 points over his remarkable stretch.