“We’ve got a lot of players here and people want to keep playing,” said Washington coach Bruce Boudreau. “It’s really difficult decisions for coaches when you’re consistently winning with different lineups. But everybody in that room is competitive … and when that happens players usually find a new way to be a little better.”

That was all Washington (44-13-8, 96 points) needed as it won its 13th consecutive home game. It is now 18-1 at Verizon Center since Nov. 20 and the Caps have lost just three times in regulation here. Only two of those 18 wins even needed overtime or a shootout and the overall home record is 25-3-3.

Top-line forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, who both played in the Olympics for Russia and Sweden respectively, again were kept off the scoreboard. But both also showed signs of life after looking lethargic in the days immediately after the break. Backstrom, especially, was dangerous, creating chances by winning puck battles down low. He still has just two assists over his last five games. And while Ovechkin finished with seven shots on goal he hasn’t scored in six games dating to his hat trick against the Penguins on Feb. 7. That is Ovechkin’s longest drought since a nine-game stretch between Oct. 13 and Nov. 8, 2008.

“They’re just a bit off by like half a second,” said Boudreau. “Their timing since coming back from the Olympics has just been a little off. But you know they’re going to catch on and it’s going to happen sooner or later. I’m not worried about them and it says an awful lot about the rest of the players that they can score while your two best players are not.”

Indeed, teammates – both old and new – are doing their share. Fehr scored his second goal in two games and No. 17 on the season. That came at 10 minutes, 56 seconds of the first period when a Tomas Fleischmann pass skipped over the stick of Brooks Laich and went right to Fehr cutting uncovered towards Rangers goalie Alex Auld (26 saves). Fehr also scored in the first period against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and added an assist Wednesday vs. Buffalo.

“I got a good opportunity to get some rest and do a little weight lifting to get stronger again and rejuvenate for the second half,” Fehr said about his 17-day break during the Olympics.

That 1-0 score stood until 13:38 of the second when Belanger skated onto a pass from Laich during a quasi 2-on-1 and beat Auld with a wrist shot. Alex Semin had the secondary assist on that goal after nicely keeping the puck in the offensive zone.

Neither team had much in the way of power-play opportunities. The Caps had a 5-on-3 in the first period, but Fehr scored after the Rangers got one man back. New York took four penalties overall. Not too bad save for the timing. At the 15:54 mark of the third period – while trailing 2-0 – a crosscheck sent forward Brandon Dubinsky to the penalty box. And while the Caps didn’t take advantage that mistake still wasted critical time as the Rangers tried to mount a comeback. New York took an even worse penalty at the 18:09 mark just as it pulled Auld for the extra attacker. With the puck in the Rangers’ offensive zone forward Marian Gaborik was whistled for interference, ending any comeback hopes.

Defenseman Tom Poti took one of two Washington penalties just 94 seconds into the game with a slash. Belanger later was called for high sticking. But those meager chances weren’t enough against Theodore, who finished with 30 saves. His best stop was a blocker save on Dubinsky, all alone in front after a nasty turnover by defenseman Shaone Morrisonn.

“I kind of froze a little bit when [Dubinsky] faked the shot, but I didn’t go down,” Theodore said. “That was obviously a key save. As a goalie there’s no better feeling than when you bail one of your friends out of trouble like that.”

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