Colin Blackwell is forcing the Rangers into uncomfortable dilemma

So it was the third period on Sunday afternoon against the Caps and it seemed like every time you looked up, Colin Blackwell was on the ice. And why was David Quinn going to the 28-year-old role player — and even on the second unit of the power play! — when that meant less time for Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil?

Blackwell was noticeable, all right. Remarkably, and almost impossibly, there was a goal scored on each of his first four shifts of the period — Washington, Rangers, Washington, Rangers — within a total ice time of 1:25. Blackwell here, Blackwell there, Blackwell giveth, Blackwell taketh. But at the end of the day, the winger finished with a sum of 9:28 in the 5-4 defeat, which is exactly what you would expect from a fourth-liner. It’s just that he was so involved. It’s just that he scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season. It’s just that he has scored 1.48 goals per 60:00 at all strengths, which is second on the team to Chris Kreider’s 1.7 per 60:00. Chytil is at 1.1, Lafreniere at 0.62 and Kaapo Kakko, 0.60 per 60:00.