Gameday Preview – Washington Capitals at New York Rangers
Time: 7:00
Location: Madison Square Garden
Collision Course
When you look at the schedules of both the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals thus far, it’s hard to pick out a more important game than tonight. The Rangers have been rolling as of late, riding a six game win streak, outscoring their opponents 20-8 in that span. They’re 9-0-1 against divisional foes this season, their best record since 2008. Henrik Lundqvist gets the nod tonight in goal, after Cam Talbot started between the pipes for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. ‘The King” is 7-2-1 with a 1.69 GAA, a .936 SV% and 3 SO in his last 10 games versus the Caps. With a win tonight, the Rangers can enter the three day holiday break with the National Hockey League’s longest active winning streak. Down in the nation’s capital, things have been similarly upbeat. The Capitals are winners of three straight, and are 7-0-2 in their last 9 games. This season, they’re 10-5-2 on the road, tied for the most road wins in the Eastern Conference. Braden Holtby will get the start tonight, despite making a season-high 38 saves in a 2-1 win against the Ottawa Senators yesterday. The Capitals are 1-4-0 on the second night of a back-to-back this year, and Holtby is 2-3-2 with a 3.66 GAA and a .896 SV % in the second game of a back-to-back in his career. Says Holtby, “I’d play every game if I could.” To make things even more interesting, the Rangers are two points behind the Capitals in the standings with two games in hand.
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History
This old time rivalry has renewed as of late, with the teams clashing so often in the postseason. The Rangers lost to the Capitals in the Conference Quarterfinals of the 2008-2009 season and then again in the 2010-2011 season. The Rangers then won the Conference Semifinals against the Caps in 20111-2012 and then came out on top in the Conference Quarterfinals of 2012-2013. This season, the Capitals, especially, have a whole different look. Last year’s head coach Adam Oates has been fired and now Barry Trotz is at the helm in D.C.. It’ll also be the Rangers’ first time seeing the Capitals’ new defenseman Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik. In the past, the Rangers have been accustomed to playing a Washington team without any soul on the blue line, but this year may be a little different. Ryan McDonagh noted, “We’re familiar with a lot of their players, but like us they’ve got some new guys on the back end. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Players to Watch
Dan Girardi, New York Rangers. Whenever these two teams butt heads, it’s usually Girardi marking the Capitals’ world class forward, Alexander Ovechkin. The Rangers’ success tonight depends on how well the pairing of McDonagh and Girardi can contain the line of Nicklas Backstrom centering Ovechkin and Tom Wilson. Rangers center Derick Brassard claimed “[Ovechkin] knows he can’t go wide on 27, and 5’s going to be in his face.”
Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals. The 4th overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft has been red hot as of late. The Swede has three goals in the past two games, six goals in the past five games, and 11 points in the past seven games. Last Saturday, Backstrom notched his first hat trick of his career against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 4-2 win. His newfound scoring touch coupled with his uncanny ability to find the open man has made the Capitals’ top line that much more lethal.