Rob Dunning
The greatest part about the Capitals-Rangers rivalry is not that they are just a measly two hours away from each other and have budding fan-bases, but because they always just seem to play extremely good hockey in the playoffs. The Capitals, a playoff regular in all but one season since 2007-2008, consistently go deep led by their superstar sniper Alexander Ovechkin , reliable sidekick Nicklas Backstrom, and emerging star netminder Braden Holtby. The Capitals, since the course of 2007, have either advanced to the second round of the playoffs, including 2009, 2011, and 2012, or fought for seven games in a given series, including 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. In the 2014/2015 season, a season after missing the playoffs, the Capitals bounced back and qualified for the playoffs, placing second in the Metropolitan Division and earned a date with the New York Islanders in the first round. The Islanders and Capitals had a tough, punishing seven game series, with the Capitals ultimately prevailing in Game 7 on home ice. What did this earn them? A meeting with the best team in the NHL; The New York Rangers.
The New York Rangers are a hockey club defined by their signature shot-blocking style defense, explosive speed, and their brick-wall in net by the name of Henrik Lundqvist, or “The King” as so many others call him. Lundqvist is one of the many reasons that the Rangers consistently go deep in the playoffs each in every year. The Rangers have advanced to the second round of the playoffs four times out of the last seven years dating back to 2008, while reaching the conference finals in 2012 and 2014, and a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2014 against the Los Angeles Kings. Although the Rangers didn’t hoist the Stanley Cup last season, they gained valuable lessons from that run that cannot be overlooked. The Rangers finished as the President’s Trophy winners for the 2014/2015 following their improbable run to the Final. They carried so much momentum into the playoffs, practically steam-rolling through opponents the last week of the season. This earned them a match-up with the vulnerable, injury-riddled, Pittsburgh Penguins, whom they easily dispatched in a quick five game series.
This set up the widely anticipated rematch between the players from our nation’s capital and the players from the “city that never sleeps”. This rivalry has grown immensely over the past few years, mainly because the teams seem to meet in the playoffs almost every year that they qualify. The Rangers and the Capitals have met in the playoffs five out of the seven years since 2008, with the teams mainly squaring off in the first round. To say that there is bad blood between the two of these teams would be an understatement, as the teams share some deep feeling for the other. For example, the Rangers have gone as far as refusing to use “capital” letters on their twitter feed.
Cute, right? Another great part is that many of the same players remain from those days back in 2009, their first playoff series out of the seven years since, such as New York’s Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, and Henrik Lundqvist opposing Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green, and Nicklas Backstorm, all of whom realize the type of hockey it takes to beat the other. The familiarity between the two teams is actually quite astounding. Other players such as New York’s Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan as well as Washington’s Joel Ward, Brooks Laich, John Carlson, and Jason Chimera have all participated in multiple series since the one in 2011. In an article by Dave Lozo, longtime Ranger Marc Staal stated that, “The teams haven’t changed all that much over the years, Sometimes it feels like you live in Washington, you go in that locker room so many times. It’s always nice to beat them, that’s for sure.” Obviously, the rivalry has been amped up mainly because of the amount of times they have met over the years. So, here we are in 2015, New York versus Washington, playoff hockey, Madison Square Garden, Verizon Center, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Through the course of the first six games, everything has gone just about as anticipated as one would have thought at the beginning of the series. Tight, evenly-matched, fast-paced, and aggressiveness have all defined the first 6 games of the series, and there really haven’t been a lot of surprises. Well, besides the buzzer beater in Game 1, and no we don’t mean Carmelo Anthony for the Knicks, there are other things besides basketball at Madison Square Garden. Joel Ward beat the buzzer, scoring as time expired in the third, to help the Caps steal Game 1. The Rangers bounced back to take Game 2 by a score of 3-2. The scene shifted to Washington, where the electricity was as noticeable as the red shirts that flooded the arena at the Verizon Center. The Capitals took both contests by scores of 1-0 and 2-1, respectively, giving the Capitals an imposing 3-1 series lead. Playing with their backs against the wall and needing a lift, Chris Kreider scored with a little over a minute remaining in the third to send the game to OT, where Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh beat Braden Holtby to send the series back to D.C. Up 3-2 in the series, the Capitals still had a chance to take the series on home-ice, what happened instead was the Rangers jumping out to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first, with the back-breaker being another Kreider goal at the horn. The Rangers hung on to take Game 6, 4-3, thus, setting up another Game 7 between the Capitals and Rangers.
There aren’t two more breathtaking words in the sports dictionary that have quite the same meaning as “Game Seven”. All the chips are pushed to the middle of table, the previous six games are thing of the past. The fact of the matter is, Game Sevens are a common thing, especially in the Stanley Cup. In the picture below, you’ll find statistics on Game 7 and how prevalent they are. According to puckreport.com, they determined that about 27%, or 1 in every 3 playoff series, reaches a Game 7. To think that the NHL only began 7 game series in 1987 and how many more there could have been is quite mind-boggling. Now, what does this hold for the Rangers and Capitals? Well, if you’re a Rangers fan, you should feel pretty confident about your team’s chances. In the same article by puckreport.com, the home team in Game 7 holds a hefty 95-61 record (61%) out of 156 total Game 7’s. The Rangers are also seeking to become the 28th team in NHL history to come back from a 3-1 deficit. However, don’t sleep on the Capitals, as the ones who took the 3-1 series lead, they still have the higher probability of victory. But in all honesty, based on what has happened in this series already, who knows what could happen?
Through the course of the first six games, everything has gone just about as anticipated as one would have thought at the beginning of the series. Tight, evenly-matched, fast-paced, and aggressiveness have all defined the first 6 games of the series, and there really haven’t been a lot of surprises. Well, besides the buzzer beater in Game 1, and no we don’t mean Carmelo Anthony for the Knicks, there are other things besides basketball at Madison Square Garden. Joel Ward beat the buzzer, scoring as time expired in the third, to help the Caps steal Game 1. The Rangers bounced back to take Game 2 by a score of 3-2. The scene shifted to Washington, where the electricity was as noticeable as the red shirts that flooded the arena at the Verizon Center. The Capitals took both contests by scores of 1-0 and 2-1, respectively, giving the Capitals an imposing 3-1 series lead. Playing with their backs against the wall and needing a lift, Chris Kreider scored with a little over a minute remaining in the third to send the game to OT, where Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh beat Braden Holtby to send the series back to D.C. Up 3-2 in the series, the Capitals still had a chance to take the series on home-ice, what happened instead was the Rangers jumping out to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first, with the back-breaker being another Kreider goal at the horn. The Rangers hung on to take Game 6, 4-3, thus, setting up another Game 7 between the Capitals and Rangers.
There aren’t two more breathtaking words in the sports dictionary that have quite the same meaning as “Game Seven”. All the chips are pushed to the middle of table, the previous six games are thing of the past. The fact of the matter is, Game Sevens are a common thing, especially in the Stanley Cup. In the picture below, you’ll find statistics on Game 7 and how prevalent they are. According to puckreport.com, they determined that about 27%, or 1 in every 3 playoff series, reaches a Game 7. To think that the NHL only began 7 game series in 1987 and how many more there could have been is quite mind-boggling. Now, what does this hold for the Rangers and Capitals? Well, if you’re a Rangers fan, you should feel pretty confident about your team’s chances. In the same article by puckreport.com, the home team in Game 7 holds a hefty 95-61 record (61%) out of 156 total Game 7’s. The Rangers are also seeking to become the 28th team in NHL history to come back from a 3-1 deficit. However, don’t sleep on the Capitals, as the ones who took the 3-1 series lead, they still have the higher probability of victory. But in all honesty, based on what has happened in this series already, who knows what could happen?
And that’s the beauty of Game 7.
So, two of the most prolific teams in the NHL will meet up in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference Semi-Final Matchup on Wednesday, one of which will inch closer to the prize that waits for the victor of the tournament. And in the midst of all the other matchups that are happening across the playoff landscape, the Capitals-Rangers matchup still seems to draw the most attention, even from non-biased fans. And here they are going to another Game 7, just like in 2009, 2012, and 2013. What can we expect? Expect some low-scoring, gut-wrenching, yelling at the TV style hockey that will make you want to check into the doctor the next morning. Honestly, there are probably fans that have already made appointments to get their stomach checked and to see the heart monitor. Who do you expect to win? Well that certainly is a tough question. The Rangers have really stormed back in this series to create some momentum, and Chris Kreider, all 6’3 225 pounds of him, is the hottest player in the series right now. He scored two goals in Game 6, scored the tying goal in Game 5, and has provided his gifted speed and size combo that is morphing him into an elite, young power forward. That, and his excellent supporting cast such as the stout defenders like captain Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, and Marc Staal as well as playmaking centers Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan, the Rangers will be a tough team to beat on home ice. Rick Nash, who led the team with 42 goals in the regular season, also got in the goal column on Sunday, so look for him to continue his outstanding 200 foot game. The Capitals, on the other hand, don’t exactly lack firepower. Expect Alex Ovechkin to be a force in Game 7, as well as his teammates, mainly the gifted tandem of Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom, as well as breakout star Evegeny Kuznetsov. Also, look for Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist to continue their domination in net with their absolutely ridiculous SV% and GAA up until this point (Holtby: .944 SV%, 1.71 GAA; Lundqvist.940 SV%, 1.68 GAA).
So, two of the most prolific teams in the NHL will meet up in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference Semi-Final Matchup on Wednesday, one of which will inch closer to the prize that waits for the victor of the tournament. And in the midst of all the other matchups that are happening across the playoff landscape, the Capitals-Rangers matchup still seems to draw the most attention, even from non-biased fans. And here they are going to another Game 7, just like in 2009, 2012, and 2013. What can we expect? Expect some low-scoring, gut-wrenching, yelling at the TV style hockey that will make you want to check into the doctor the next morning. Honestly, there are probably fans that have already made appointments to get their stomach checked and to see the heart monitor. Who do you expect to win? Well that certainly is a tough question. The Rangers have really stormed back in this series to create some momentum, and Chris Kreider, all 6’3 225 pounds of him, is the hottest player in the series right now. He scored two goals in Game 6, scored the tying goal in Game 5, and has provided his gifted speed and size combo that is morphing him into an elite, young power forward. That, and his excellent supporting cast such as the stout defenders like captain Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, and Marc Staal as well as playmaking centers Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan, the Rangers will be a tough team to beat on home ice. Rick Nash, who led the team with 42 goals in the regular season, also got in the goal column on Sunday, so look for him to continue his outstanding 200 foot game. The Capitals, on the other hand, don’t exactly lack firepower. Expect Alex Ovechkin to be a force in Game 7, as well as his teammates, mainly the gifted tandem of Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom, as well as breakout star Evegeny Kuznetsov. Also, look for Braden Holtby and Henrik Lundqvist to continue their domination in net with their absolutely ridiculous SV% and GAA up until this point (Holtby: .944 SV%, 1.71 GAA; Lundqvist.940 SV%, 1.68 GAA).
As in every Game 7, there are many X-factors that could determine the outcome, with one being the Rangers penalty kill versus the Capitals power play, with whoever coming out on top likely winning the game and the series. The Rangers penalty kill, led by face-off specialist Dominic Moore (winning 52% of his face-offs, leading the team) speedy, short-hand specialist Carl Hagelin, and their signature shot blocking defenseman, has been superb and has shut the Caps down through the first six games. Yet, the Capitals owned the number one power-play in the league heading into the playoffs, so they could strike at any minute. Also, the matchup of superstar Alexander Ovechkin against the defensive tandem of Girardi and McDonagh is always fun to watch, so look for that in Game 7. If Ovechkin is able to rip the twine, the Capitals are in luck, but if he gets shut down, then look for the Rangers to carry the play. Overall, expect another close, tightly-contested, down-to-the-wire game, with the bold prediction being that whoever converts on the power- play the most will win this hockey game. There are no secrets to this Game 7 or the series for that matter, and not much has changed between the two over the countless playoff matchups. Just two hockey clubs with bitter feelings towards each other, who will battle it out on a 200x85 sheet of ice for a chance at advancing. That’s what the playoffs are all about.
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