Capitals beat Rangers for fourth consecutive win

WASHINGTON » Matt Niskanen scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:22 remaining and the Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers 4-2 Friday night to continue their climb up the Metropolitan Division standings.

Braden Holtby made 27 saves for the Capitals, who have won four in a row and seven of eight. Jay Beagle scored 14 seconds in, Nicklas Backstrom had a goal in a second consecutive game after a long drought and Tom Wilson added an insurance goal with 1:32 left.

Wilson also assisted on the winner by Niskanen.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopped 36 shots in his first game back after a brief illness. Michael Grabner and Jesper Fast scored for New York, which won its previous two games.

Kevin Shattenkirk started on defense in his return to Washington, where he finished last season, and made one of several miscues by the Rangers on the first shift of the game. Beagle got some space and scored a soft goal on Lundqvist to put the Capitals ahead.

Lundqvist stopped the final 16 shots of the first period to keep it 1-0. But a brutal giveaway from Grabner sending the puck off teammate Mats Zuccarello’s skates gave it to Backstrom for his fifth goal of the season. BLUE JACKETS 5, DEVILS 3 » Artemi Panarin had five primary assists, setting up Columbus for a victory over New Jersey and a split of their home-and-home series.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, Lukas Sedlak, Scott Harrington, Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves.

After losing to the Devils 4-1 in Columbus on Tuesday, the Blue Jackets gained a measure of revenge while also snapping a two-game skid.

The five assists for Panarin tied a Blue Jackets record set by Espen Knutsen against Calgary on March 24, 2001.

Brian Boyle, Marcus Johansson and Blake Coleman had the New Jersey goals. Cory Schneider stopped 23 shots.

Panarin set up Wennberg for a powerplay goal 1:32 into the third period to snap a 3-all tie.

NHL teams will be allowed to spend more next season

MANALAPAN, FLORIDA » NHLs team will be allowed to spend more next season.

Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters at the conclusion of the league’s board of governors meeting Friday that the projected salary cap for 2018-19 will be somewhere between $78 million and $82 million, up from the current $75 million.

“The league has never been healthier,” Bettman said in a ballroom at the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. “The game has never been healthier. Our franchises have never been healthier. Our fan base has never been better.”

Bettman said hockey-related revenue will be around $4.54 billion this season, an 8.2 percent increase.