New York Rangers will play Washington Capitals in round one of the playoffs
We know that the road to the cup will run through the Garden. Anyone who wants the infamous mug will have to try to defeat the New York Rangers without home ice. That run will start when the Rangers host the Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The matchup is confirmed. It'll be a chance for the Rangers to slay the demons of a time long ago and truly put to bed some of the criticism around the organization.
A loss in this series would be a setback and a blow to the Rangers' sensational success this season. While Washington has fought their way into the postseason, the Rangers have stood tall as one of the league's dominant forces. New York must swiftly dispatch their division rivals, as this team could potentially pose injury problems for a club with Stanley Cup aspirations. The key is quickly overcoming this challenge, allowing the Blueshirts to rest and prepare for the next opponent.
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Washington is known for its physicality, aiming to overpower opponents and make the game a battle. Their success often hinges on the performance of their goaltender, Charlie Lindgren, who has been instrumental in the Capitals' competitiveness this season. If the Blueshirts can find a way to overcome Lindgren, the series could tilt in their favor.
We don't know when the series will begin, as the Eastern Conference has completed its season. With the NHL still awaiting confirmation of the standings out West, we will continue to hold on until April 18th when the final few games out West are played out, and we remove 16 teams across the league from the conversation for the Stanley Cup.
The first two games will be at Madison Square Garden when the series starts. From there, the series will shift to Capital One Arena in DC. Game five, if needed, will be back up at the Garden before game six would go back to the nation's Capitol. From there, game seven would be played under the bright lights on Broadway if it is needed.