Blue Line Station
Fansided

Rangers face the Capitals without Brendan Lemieux, traded to L.A.

By Steve Paulus

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 25: Brendan Lemieux #48 of the New York Rangers looks on prior to the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 25, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 25: Brendan Lemieux #48 of the New York Rangers looks on prior to the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 25, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers skates against the Washington Capitals (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Filip Chytil #72 of the New York Rangers skates against the Washington Capitals (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

About the Capitals

This game ends a six game homestand for the Capitals, of which they have won five games.  This is the last of four visits to Washington for the Rangers.

Alexander Ovechkin is red hot.  He has scored nine goals in his last eight games and has 17 goals on the season, four off the league lead. He has 11 goals in March, the 26th time he has hit double digits in a month.  The only players do to it more times were Wayne Gretzky (38), Mario Lemieux (32), Marcel Dionne (28) and Mike Bossy (28).

The Capitals are in first place, tied in points with the Islanders, but they have played two fewer games.  Despite Ovechkin’s heroics, their leading scorer is Nicklas Backstrom who as 13 goals and 35 points in 33 games.

There is no word on who will be in net for the Capitals.  Ilya Samsonov is coming off a 4-0 shutout over the New Jersey Devils.  Coach Peter Laviolette has been alternating goalies so we will probably see Vitek Vanecek.

Project Lineup

8 Alex Ovechkin – 92 Evgeny Kuznetsov -10 Daniel Sprong
73 Conor Sheary – 19 Nicklas Backstrom – 43 Tom Wilson
13 Jakub Vrana – 77 T.J. Oshie – 14 Richard Panik
62 Carl Hagelin – 26 Nic Dowd – 21 Garnet Hathaway

3 Brenden Dillon – 74 John Carlson
9 Dmitri Orlov -2 Justin Schultz
33 Zdeno Chara — 3 Nick Jensen

41 Vitek Vanecek
30 Ilya Samsonov

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