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The Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals head to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers tomorrow at 7:30 PM ET on TNT.
This is the third and final time the Caps face the Rangers in the regular season. Washington has easily won the first two matchups, both at home. Alex Ovechkin, who is now just 10 goals behind NHL All-time leader Wayne Gretzy with 884 in his career, had two goals while Aliaksei Protas found the back of the net and recorded two assists in a 5-3 victory at the beginning of the season.
In the second meeting, Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists, while Ovechkin, Andrew Mangiapione and Tom Wilson all scored and recorded one assist each as seven different Caps scored in a 7-4 triumph over the Rangers in January. Logan Thompson won both games in net for Washington, making a combined 45 saves.
Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider have scored a goal in both contests for the Rangers. Both New York goaltenders, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick, have been lit up by the Caps.
However, those games are behind us, so let’s break down each team’s recent play while previewing this matchup and our Capitals @ Rangers NHL pick.
Washington leads the Eastern Conference by seven points over the Toronto Maple Leafs and the defending NHL champion Florida Panthers. They have a 12-point advantage in the Metropolitan division over the second-place Carolina Hurricanes.
Ovechkin’s pursuit of Gretzky was supposed to be the highlight of the season for a franchise that has lost five straight playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. He has displayed his usual scoring prowess, leading the Caps with 31 goals despite missing an extended period with a broken left fibula.
Washington has stormed to the top of the conference behind Ovechkin’s return, Strome’s (18 goals, 42 assists, team-high 60 points) all-around play and Thompson’s netminding. He is currently fifth in the league in goals against average at 2.32 and fourth in save percentage at .918.
Pierre-Luc Dubois (15 goals, 37 assists) is second on the team with 52 points, while Protas has 23 goals and 28 assists for Washington. The Caps were in a rut over the past week, dropping three straight, marking their longest losing streak of the season.
After slamming the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers, totaling 15 goals in two victories, the team went cold, losing all three games at home and scoring just four goals in those three contests.
The team rebounded last night with a 5-4 shoot win over the Ottawa Senators. Dubois had a goal and two assists, while Connor McMichael, Martin Fehervary and Wilson all scored and tallied an assist. Thompson made 33 saves and stopped all three attempts in the shootout, while Strome scored for the win.
Ovechkin had a hat trick in the win over Edmonton and added goals in 3-1 losses to both the Calgary Flames and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Washington’s 220 goals are the most in the league, and its +59 goal differential only trails the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets.
The Rangers are one of the most disappointing clubs in the NHL this season. New York has reached the Eastern Conference finals twice in the past three campaigns but is currently on the outside looking in on this year’s playoff standings.
The team currently sits fifth in the Metropolitan and is tied with the Red Wings for the second wild card slot, although Detroit has the tiebreaker. It’s a crowded group, however, as the Columbus Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Rangers, Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins are all within four points of each other.
Unlike the Caps, the Rangers have had a good week plus of results, winning 4-of-5. Shesterkin made 21 saves and posted his fourth shutout of the season as the team defeated the Islanders last night, 4-0. Artemi Panerin and recent Vancouver Canucks pickup J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist, as did Will Cuylle.
On Sunday, Quick made 35 saves and posted his third shutout of the season and the 63rd of his career in New York’s 4-0 win over the Nashville Predators. Shesterkin was impressive before that, posting 37 saves in a 5-3 win over Pittsburgh and 36 saves in a 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders.
Miller scored twice in the win over the Penguins, while Jonny Brodzinki had two goals in the victory over the Islanders. Miller and Panarin each had a goal and an assist in the shutout win over the Predators. Panerin leads the club with 25 goals and 63 points, and Adam Fox has 43 assists.
The Caps have easily handled the Rangers this season after getting swept by them in the first round of last year’s playoffs. With 12 goals in two matchups, Washington should be immensely confident in achieving the season sweep.
Ovechkin has already scored three goals in two games against the Rangers this season, and Thompson made the saves when it counted in securing two victories. After stumbling during a five-game home stretch, going just 2-3, the Capitals will be excited to get back on the road, where they are a league-best 20-7-2.
The Rangers have the momentum stemming from four wins in the past nine days, but the team is just 16-13-2 at home. New York is still looking for more scoring as Cuylle and Vincent Trocheck are second to Panerin with 17 goals each.
The Caps are in a solid position for the season sweep, and Ovechkin should inch closer to Gretzky’s record with another goal tomorrow night.
Brian has been writing about sports professionally for 25 years, specializing in the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, men's college basketball and football, and soccer. He covered high school, collegiate and professional sports in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area for two decades. His written work has appeared in several print and online publications since 1999.