New York Rangers vs. Cup Contenders: Washington Capitals

Blue Line Station continues its look into how the New York Rangers stack up against the teams ahead of them in the NHL standings, as well as other Cup contenders.

With twelve games to go in the regular season, it seems all but certain that the New York Rangers have locked up a first-round meeting with the winner of the Atlantic Division. But wild things have been known to happen during the stretch run in the NHL.

Should the Rangers leapfrog one of the three Metropolitan Division teams currently ahead of them, they’ll have a tough road to the Stanley Cup lying in wait—and that road would almost definitely have to go through the Washington Capitals.

More from Blue Line Station

• Blake Wheeler’s Broadway Calling: Why He Chose the Rangers
• Rangers’ Playoff Redemption Recipe: Grit and Fresh Hopes
• Rangers’ Roster Chatter: Who’s Making the Cut and Who’s in the Penalty Box?
• Jacque Plante Trade Tree Between the Rangers and Canadiens
• These Rangers must learn Peter Laviolette’s ropes before they can fly

In what has become one of the Rangers’ top rivalries over the past 6 or 7 years, they have faced the Capitals in the playoffs on four times since 2009, all of which needed a deciding Game 7. Most recently, Derek Stepan scored the winner in overtime of Game 7 of the 2015 edition.

Measuring Up

While the Rangers have enjoyed success against the Capitals the last three times they met in the playoffs, the Capitals are a different monster than the version that bowed out in the second round of 2015.

After winning the President’s Trophy last year for the best record in the NHL, the Capitals are once again one of the powerhouses in the league. They may very well repeat as #1 in the regular season.

Next: Senators Would be Ideal Playoff Matchup

On top of that, it’s clear that Washington is all-in this season. They traded for Kevin Shattenkirk at the deadline to add another weapon to an already-killer power play. They have a roster with almost no weak points and a goalie who just won the Vezina Trophy last year.

Not so long ago, that might have sounded like a description of the Rangers. But now, it seems the window is closing—if it hasn’t yet. Henrik Lundqvist has shown his age, and while the Rangers boast one of the deepest forward units in the league, the defense is more that suspect.

For the first time since 2012, the Rangers retained their first-round pick in the upcoming draft. Brendan Smith was their only deadline acquisition, signifying a more patient approach from GM Jeff Gorton.

Star Power

When it comes to stars in the NHL, Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin has been one of the top guys for over a decade. The greatest goal scorer of the generation is having a bit of a down year, however.

On March 12, Ovechkin broke a 12-game scoreless streak—the longest of his career. He has 28 goals on the season and is looking like he’ll finish this season with the fewest goal total of his career (over a full season).

But even in a down year, Ovechkin is the man in Washington. His unrivaled one-timer remains an almost unstoppable weapon on the power play.

When the Rangers-Capitals rivalry comes up now, the matchup is always Ovechkin vs. Lundqvist. Ovechkin famously chirped Lundqvist after scoring in Game 1 of that 2015 series and has scored some of his most ridiculous goals against him.

X-Factor

With Washington stumbling of late, they know that they need to kick it into all cylinders in order to advance past the second round for the first time in the Ovechkin era.

While the offense is there, with Ovechkin, the always-underrated Nicklas Backstrom, and Evgeny Kuznetsov, the key to playoff success will rest on the capable shoulders of goaltender Braden Holtby.

Holtby won the Vezina last year and looks well on his way to winning another in 2017. His playoff numbers are sparkling, and he and Lundqvist held a goalie duel for the ages the last time they met in the playoffs.

On the Rangers’ side of things, they’ll need their big guns to step up to beat a powerhouse Capitals team. J.T. Miller leads the Rangers in scoring through 70 games, and his solid but unremarkable playoff numbers—1 goal, 13 assists, 28 games—indicate that he’s ready to continue his breakout in the postseason.

Next: Buchnevich Earning his Spot

With the usual suspects, like Stepan, Chris Kreider, and Rick Nash getting most of the attention, it will be up to Miller to be the catalyst for the Rangers to get by a deep and talented Washington squad.