WASHINGTON — As has become routine recently, the Washington Capitals trailed and then chased down the lead. But another spirited rally couldn't be completed with another comeback, as the Capitals lost to the New York Rangers, 3-2.

The loss ended a streak of 12 games with at least a point against Metropolitan Division opponents, and it was Washington's ninth straight one-goal game. Though coach Barry Trotz was relatively happy with how his team played Friday night, he figured the Capitals tempted fate too often.

“I think there's always hockey gods,” Trotz said.

With the game tied after two periods, the Rangers pulled ahead just 17 seconds into the third. Dmitry Orlov attempted to rim the puck up to T.J. Oshie, but his pass got intercepted by Ryan McDonagh, who relayed the puck to Derek Stepan. Stepan shot it from the high slot, and it deflected off Brooks Orpik.

The shot changed direction and skipped past goaltender Braden Holtby. The defense pairing of Orpik and Orlov were on the ice for both of New York's even-strength goals, but Trotz said he thought they were “fine” and that he anticipated them staying together.

That game-winning goal came suddenly after Washington had an impressive second period, rallying from being down two goals to entering the second break tied.

“It was so quick,” Holtby said. “Obviously, it doesn't look like a very good goal, so it's not one that we can let happen again.”

The Capitals have been frustrated with their string of poor starts. They've allowed the first goal in nine of their past 11 games, and it's not a habit the team wants to persist entering the playoffs. On Wednesday night, several players said there wasn't enough emotion during the game.

“I don't think we're getting too frustrated with it,” Holtby said of the slow starts. “We're a little confused as to why it's going on. It's one of those things where we've got to fight through it somehow.”

The Capitals again fell into an early deficit against the Rangers. Playing their third game in four nights, Washington allowed the first goal of the game less than six minutes in. After all three forwards went to the bench for a line change, Holtby played the puck with no options around him, and that led to a giveaway.

Orpik tried to get his stick on it to clear it out of the Capitals' zone, but he pushed it toward Jesper Fast, who punched it past Holtby. New York extended the first-period lead with Keith Yandle's snap shot from the blue line on a power play, putting Washington down 2-0 after the first period, the same deficit it had rallied from in a 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

“We're not doing it on purpose, that's for sure,” Nicklas Backstrom said. “We want to come out hard. We want to have a good start. It's hard to catch up every game.”

There was a similar comeback Friday. Nearly 11 minutes into the period, Rangers goaltender Antti Raanta saved a shot by Mike Richards, and defenseman Kevin Klein appeared to sweep the crease clean. But with the fourth line crashing the net, Jay Beagle got a second poke on the puck, and after a lengthy review, it was ruled that the puck completely crossed the goal line after Beagle's second effort.

New York initiated a second review for goaltender interference, but the goal was still good. The Capitals entered the game undefeated in regulation when Beagle has scored in his career (22-0-5).

Washington got a power play late in the period, and after Stepan misfired a short-handed chance, the puck rimmed around the boards to Oshie for an odd-man rush in transition.

He scored on that play to tie the game, but on his first shift in the third period, a puck that was supposed to rim around the boards to him didn't get there, instead finding its way past Holtby. This time, the Capitals couldn't recover.