Dein erstes Forum » Rangers kept up the pressure and made it 3

WASHINGTON (AP) The Capitals have signed center Lars Eller to a $17.5 million Matt Hunwick Jersey Womens , five-year contract extension.Eller will count $3.5 million against the salary cap through the 2022-23 season. General manager Brian MacLellan announced the deal Saturday.The 28-year-old Dane was in the final year of his contract with the Capitals and would have become a free agent on July 1.”This club and this city has been a great fit for me personally, for my family,” Eller said. ”There’s just so many things that have been good about it. It’s been good for my career. I’ve found my game here, especially this year.”Eller has 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 53 games this season, three points shy of his career high. In 576 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens and Capitals, Eller has 96 goals and 113 assists.The signing solidifies Washington at center. Eller has played on the third line the past two seasons behind centers Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Backstrom is signed through the 2019-20 season and Kuznetsov through 2024-25.”Everybody in the league is dying for centermen,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. ”And we have a lot of them. … Those guys are assets in the organization. Every good team, it doesn’t matter what sport, if you’re strong up the middle, you’ve got a chance.”Washington traded two second-round picks to Montreal for Eller at the 2017 draft. Eller grew frustrated during his six seasons with the Canadiens.The No. 13 overall pick in the 2007 draft by the Blues Jeff Skinner Jersey Womens , Eller was traded to Montreal in 2010 and never settled on a role as he moved between center and wing and played up and down the top three lines.”I don’t like to go back to talk about it, but it was a different situation in Montreal,” Eller said. ”I have more stability here. I get to learn from some of the best players in the league looking at (Kuznetsov) and (Backstrom) every day.”Eller was one of three significant Capitals unrestricted free agents, along with center Jay Beagle and defenseman John Carlson.”Lars had a good year last year,” MacLellan said. ”This year, he’s taken his game probably up a notch. There’s a little more offense involved. He’s playing more second power play. He’s done really well and I anticipate it to be like that going forward.”MacLellan said Washington would do ”everything we can” to re-sign Carlson, who ranks fourth in points among NHL defensemen (42), but wouldn’t comment on where those negotiations stand other than to say the two sides have had contract discussions.Eller was tempted by the chance to explore free agency before deciding the fit was too good in Washington, the search for more money elsewhere not worth the uncertainty that came with it.”In my case I’m only going to have one time to be (an unrestricted free agent) when I’m still in my 20s and that’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Eller said.”But looking at the options, I wanted to stay here. It’s a good fit for me on the team. The team is going to be competitive – not just this year Jaycob Megna Jersey Womens , but the next couple of years with the core that they have.”— NEW YORK (AP) — Despite their trade deadline-depleted lineup, the Rangers got off to a fast start and dominated the Devils.Ryan Strome had two goals, Chris Kreider and Jimmy Vesey each had a goal and an assist, and New Yorkbeat New Jersey 5-2 on Saturday.Both teams sat key players with the league’s trade deadline two days away.“We all knew this day was a possibility,” Rangers coach David Quinn said. “It doesn’t make it less emotional.”The Rangers sat forwards Mats Zuccarello and Kevin Hayes as well as defenseman Adam McQuaid.“These guys have been here awhile. Obviously Adam has been here a little less, but he’s made a big impact in that locker room,” Quinn said.“Zucc’s been here for a long time and so has Hayesy, their personalities can really take over a locker room, so not only do we lose what they give us on the ice, you’re also talking about a locker room presence and guys who are highly respected and highly liked, not only by the players Max Jones Jersey Womens , but the coaches. Tough day. Couldn’t be prouder of our guys.”Zuccarello was later traded to Dallas for a conditional second-round draft pick this year, and a conditional third-round pick in 2020.Brady Skjei also scored. Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich each had two assists and Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves for the Rangers.“Obviously a ton of emotions on a day like this, tough time of year,” Kreider said. “Proud how the guys battled. Didn’t let it affect our start.”Andy Greene and Kenny Agostino scored and Cory Schneider had 29 saves for the Devils.The Devils were in a similar situation to the Rangers. They traded defenseman Ben Lovejoy to Dallas for defenseman Connor Carrick and a third-round pick earlier in the day and also kept out forward Marcus Johansson.“We have guys playing roles they’re not used to playing,” coach John Hynes said. “You get a guy like Lovejoy who’s out. We’ve got continue with those guys. You’ve got guys learning on the job, playing different roles.”Trailing 3-0 in the third period, the Devils scored when Agostino got his third of the season at 2:20. He took advantage of a turnover in the Rangers’ zone to score his first goal with the Devils.The Rangers answered as defenseman Skjei sent a one-timer past Schneider for his fourth of the season. The score withstood a video review for goalie interference.“To finally put one in, it felt really good. It was a good play by Mika and Kreids in front of the net and I just had to put it on net,” Skjei said.The Devils rallied again as Greene took a pass from Kyle Palmieri and wristed it past Georgiev for his fourth of the season at 12:59.Strome added an empty-netter in the final minute for his second of the game to clinch the win.Early on, the Rangers dominated the matchup between the area rivals and playoff also-rans in the Eastern Conference. They opened the scoring with two goals early in the first period.Vesey scored his 14th of the season off a scramble in front of the net at 4:48 just as a Devils penalty expired. A few minutes later and with a Devils power play about to end, Vladislav Namestnikov drew a tripping penalty on Drew Stafford to give the Rangers another man advantage. And they took advantage.With the power play nearly over Andrej Sustr Jersey Womens , Kreider sent a no-look pass to Strome, who scored his ninth of the season. Buchnevich assisted on both of the goals.The Rangers kept up the pressure and made it 3-0. Kreider scored on another scramble in front of the Devils’ net for his 25th of the season. The Rangers outshot the Devils 15-4 in the period.“I think we’ve got to have more pushback, I don’t think we had a lot of physicality,” Hynes said. “I think we got outcompeted, I think we got manhandled on the puck.”NOTES: Vesey’s goal ended Schneider’s shutout streak at more than 85 minutes. … Saturday’s trade gives the Devils nine picks in the 2019 draft, including five in the first three rounds. … Kreider has scored at least 25 goals in a season for the second time in his NHL career. His career high is 28 in the 2016-17 season. … Zibanejad has reached 60 points in a season for the first time in his NHL career. … The Rangers tied a single-period season-high with three goals in the first period.UP NEXT:Devils: host the Canadiens on Monday.Rangers: face the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals in D.C. on Sunday afternoon.