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Metropolitan Division rivals: Washington Capitals preview

BySteve Paulus|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates against Ryan Lindgren #55 of the New York Rangers during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 30, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates against Ryan Lindgren #55 of the New York Rangers during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 30, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 03: Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals takes a roughing penalty during the second period against Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on May 03, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 03: Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals takes a roughing penalty during the second period against Artemi Panarin #10 of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on May 03, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Against the Rangers

The Rangers split the eight games they played against the Capitals last season.  They won three of their first four match ups by a combined score of 12-6.  The Capitals took three of the last four including two losses at the end of the season when the Rangers lineup was depleted.

The Rangers had some of their best wins of the season against the Capitals and in fact, played better against the Capitals than the other top teams in the Eastern Division.

Here’s a recap of the season series.

  1. February 4 (MSG)  Rangers 4, Capitals 2 – A solid win highlighted by Tony Bitetto’s amazing goal that put the Blueshirts up 2-0.  Three assists for Artemi Panarin and two goals for Ryan Strome.
  2. February 20 (Washington)  Rangers 4,  Capitals 1 – Mika Zibanejad scored an empty net goal for his first goal in 13 games.  The Rangers jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back.
  3. March 19 (Washington) Capitals 2, Rangers 1 – The Rangers took a 1-0 lead into the third period only to see the Caps score two late goals for the win. Both goals were scored by who else? Ovechkin.
  4. March 20 (Washington) Rangers 3, Capitals 1– It was a 1-1 tie with 2:32 left when Zibanejad scored after stealing the puck from Brenden Dillon.  The loss snapped a seven game Washington winning streak.
  5. March 28 (Washington) Capitals 5, Rangers 4 – The Rangers scored four third period goals, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an early Washington lead, highlighted by two Tom Wilson goals.
  6. March 30 (MSG)  Rangers 5, Capitals 2 – The Capitals scored two goals in the first five minutes, but the Rangers answered with five straight goals. Filip Chytil got them started with a breakaway goal late in the first period.  The next four Ranger goals came in the third period after a scoreless second period.
  7. May 3 (MSG)  Capitals 6, Rangers 3 – A meeting that will go down in Rangers history as the “Tom Wilson game.”  What made it worse was when the melee broke out, the Rangers had a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.  Emboldened by Wilson and with Panarin out of the lineup, the Caps scored the next five goals including one by Wilson. Awful.
  8. May 5 (MSG)  Capitals 4, Rangers 2 – Reeling from the firing of Jeff Gorton and John Davidson, the Rangers came out fighting and challenged the Capitals right from the opening faceoff.  All of the fisticuffs were fruitless as T.J. Oshie got the hat trick as Washington jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

That was last season.  Let’s take a look at who is gone from that team and who has replaced them.

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