NEW YORK -- Henrik Lundqvist is playing so well lately, the New York Rangers dont have to generate a whole lot of offence to win. Chuck Cooper Jersey . With speed throughout the lineup and a power play that is clicking on a nightly basis, it is no wonder why the Rangers are on quite a roll. Rick Nash scored two of New Yorks three first-period goals, and Lundqvist won for the fifth time in six outings as the surging Rangers beat the sliding Washington Capitals 4-1 on Sunday night. "Starts are important," Lundqvist said. "If you can jump out and start the right way and then get the momentum, then I think you set the tone for the rest of the game and you gain confidence right away." The Rangers offence broke out for the second straight day, after winning 1-0 over Detroit on Thursday. They recorded four goals for the third time in five games. Lundqvist, who got the day off when New York won 4-1 at Ottawa on Saturday, was sharp in making 24 saves. He has allowed fewer than three goals in six consecutive starts. New York, 11-3-1 in its last 15 games, improved to 12-11-3 at home. "It was a tough back-to-back for us," Nash said of the Rangers weekend sweep. "Travelling (Saturday) and coming home to a team that is right on our heels ... its a huge four points." Washington dropped its fifth straight (0-3-2) and completed a winless three-game trip against Metropolitan Division foes. The second-place Rangers lead the fifth-place Capitals, who have played two fewer games, by five points. "Were in a slump right now, thats for sure," Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom said. "Its tough, but weve got to find a way to get through it. Weve got to start playing way better than were doing right now." Nash scored 1:10 in and added a power-play tally later in the first, giving him seven goals in eight games. Derek Stepan also scored in the first to chase goalie Philipp Grubauer. Ryan Callahan added a short-handed goal in the second. Alex Ovechkin netted the only goal for Washington, which committed four penalties in the second to thwart hopes of a comeback. "All the experienced guys, weve got to really stick together here and battle through," Backstrom said. "Its tough, but I think were going to turn this around, and were going to do it next game. Were going to be much stronger after that." Despite recording only nine shots in the first, New York carried a 3-0 lead into the intermission. Nash got the offence churning when he intercepted a clearing attempt by defenceman Dmitry Orlov at the left point and steamed into the Washington zone. He cruised through the left circle, came in alone on Grubauer, shifted to his backhand and lifted in a shot. After New York killed off Washingtons first power play, the Rangers went on a 5-on-3 advantage with 4:13 remaining after Martin Erat and Karl Alzner took hooking penalties 23 seconds apart. Nash made the most of that and squeezed a shot from the right circle through Grubauer for his team-leading 14th goal at 16:06. Stepan pushed the lead to three just 2 seconds after Alzners penalty expired. After breaking a 13-game goal drought Saturday, Stepan netted his second in two days when he snapped in a wrist shot from above the circles. That ended Grubauers short night as he was replaced by Braden Holtby. Grubauer was pulled in the first period for the second straight game. He yielded three goals on 14 shots Friday in a loss to Columbus. "Its not the way I wanted it to go," Grubauer said. "Its my job to stop the puck, and I didnt stop it today." Washington produced a brief spark when slashing calls against Chris Kreider, in the final minute of the first, and Carl Hagelin in the opening minute of the second, gave the Capitals a two-man advantage and generated a goal. Ovechkin took a pass from Mike Green in the left circle and one-timed a hard shot that beat Lundqvist at 59 seconds for his NHL-leading 35th goal and fourth in six games. Washington put more pressure on during the second half of the power play, but the Rangers netted the next goal. Dominic Moore and Callahan raced out on a short-handed 2-on-1 rush, and Moore fired a shot that Holtby deflected back into the slot. The hard-charging Callahan beat Orlov to the puck and slammed a shot in before barrelling into the net. "Youre not going out on the PK and thinking, I want to score a goal by any means," Callahan said. "I feel like with the guys we have killing, and the speed we have on our killers, if the opportunity presents itself, we are going to go for it." Green had a goal waved off by a Capitals penalty in the second. NOTES: Rangers D Ryan McDonagh had two assists. ... The Capitals had failed on 14 straight power plays over six games before Ovechkins goal. ... Erat was called for three penalties, including one for slashing when he jammed his stick between the legs of a seated Brian Boyle. Walt Bellamy Jersey . As they are wont to do, the Spurs made things real easy. The Spurs signed Parker to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, ensuring that the six-time All-Star point guard will be in the fold whether Duncan and Ginobili are able to continue their careers or not. Damian Jones Jersey . Browns advice worked. Irving scored 20 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, and Cleveland defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 88-82 Saturday night. Irving made his first shot of the night on a layup a little over three minutes into the game. https://www.cheaphawks.com/414r-dennis-schroder-jersey-hawks.html . Pinch-hitter Tommy Medica singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Padres beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in their first home game since Gwynn died of cancer Monday.While some denigrate the use of artificial turf at the Womens World Cup, Canadian coach John Herdman pragmatically sees it as an advantage.The Canadian women have stayed out of the fray, for the most part. Players behind a legal challenge surrounding the artificial surface elected not to involve the Canadians given that the Canadian Soccer Association doubles as the 2015 tournaments organizing committee.Herdman says he and his staff have tried to keep the chatter about the legal challenge out of sight and out of mind.I think weve had to position it like that, he said in an interview. I mean look, in Canada a lot of these players (in) North America are used to playing on turf so it wont be a major shock. Because pretty much all our home matches over the last two years have been on turf.So its not a shock. Its a consistent surface for our players. There are definite pros of doing it. There are also cons in many peoples mind. But I think whats been great about our players (is) they just accepted the challenge and said Look, well become turf experts. Well become experts at playing on turf and well use that as one of our home advantages over the opponents who may have a mindset and be stuck on other things.The lawyer for the women challenging artificial turf kept the pressure up Thursday ahead of Saturdays tournament draw by releasing another letter to FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke. Bob Houbregs Jersey. Unable to get the FIFA executive to talk to players via a conference call around the draw, lawyer Hampton Dellinger sent a Top 10 list of pressing questions to which the players and public deserve answers.No. 3 reads How can you justify playing the World Cup final at Vancouvers B.C. Place on a surface that players have likened to concrete?The letter also questions the credentials and connections of FIFA consultants and experts as well as the difference between prize money at the mens and womens tournaments.A group of top female players has filed a challenge in the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, arguing that playing on artificial turf at the Womens World Cup is discriminatory because the men play their showcase tournament on grass.FIFA argues that the laws of the game permit artificial turf as long as they meet standards and that such surfaces makes sense for the Canadian climate.Valcke has also gone on record saying that a mens World Cup could be held on turf sooner rather than later.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter ' ' '