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New York Rangers Game to Watch: Washington Capitals

By George Ruggiero

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 17: Anton Stralman #6 of the New York Rangers battles for the puck against Eric Fehr #16 of the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on February 17, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 17: Anton Stralman #6 of the New York Rangers battles for the puck against Eric Fehr #16 of the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on February 17, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Even though the New York Rangers’ season is off to a rocky start, tonight’s Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup in the nation’s capital will be one to watch.

The New York Rangers are not off to the best start a rebuild has ever seen. New head coach, David Quinn, took just his second win of the season away from the Colorado Avalanche in the shootout last night. However, that isn’t to say the team has played poorly insofar.

The Rangers have had some extremely well-played games that just didn’t pan out. The one that mostly comes to mind is the first game of the season. The Rangers played a strong game against the Nashville Predators, only to see a late comeback fall just short.

Seeing as the Rangers are in a self-declared rebuild, there are those who think that the Rangers should try to tank for a higher draft pick this coming summer. I disagree. The outcome of this game is important for the Rangers for a few reasons.

Setting Up the Culture

This is David Quinn’s first season with the Rangers and in the NHL. As such, it is his job to garner respect in the locker room and try to build the culture for the new generation of Rangers. While Quinn’s words and actions have done a good job of that so far, the results haven’t been there.

This organization and fanbase expect one thing: winning. And while Quinn seems to be pushing many of the right buttons, he hasn’t found the formula for winning quite yet. This game against the Stanley Cup Champions could be one to get the team going.

The Return of Pavel Buchnevich

Following his healthy scratching against the Avalanche last night, it is expected that Pavel Buchnevich returns to the lineup to play against the Capitals. The mercurial forward has scored two goals in his first five games, but Quinn hasn’t been impressed with Buchnevich’s overall compete level.

This section isn’t just about Buchnevich. While this seems like a bad way to improve a player’s development, Quinn has seen success from this. Just last week, Quinn scratched top pairing defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, only for him to play much better in his return. These two scratches set the precedent that no one, no matter how skilled, is exempt from criticism.

For the Capitals

This game is also important for the home squad. They themselves are not getting off to the best start following a Stanley Cup winning season. Todd Reirden has his group only one point ahead of the Rangers, with a 2-2-1 record.

Next. New York Rangers: Relax, no one is safe from being benched. dark

A heated rivalry game like this could be either a nail in the Capitals’ coffin in a season already marred by a major suspension and a case of Cup hangover or it could be a turning point for the group. That being said, an away game against a strong opponent could jumpstart a seemingly stalling team, like the Rangers.

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