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Tuesday night sees the fourth-seeded Washington Capitals hitting the road to challenge the top-seeded New York Rangers in Game 2 of the Metropolitan Division NHL Playoffs at Madison Square Garden in New York at 7 p.m. ET.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN, SN, TVAS, MNMT and MSG. The Rangers started the series on a high note on Sunday afternoon, registering a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals. The home team has won seven of the last eight games between the two teams.
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Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers: Game Preview
The Washington Capitals, with a 40-31-11 overall record and a 16-10-1 record against the Metropolitan Division, are eighth in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. They trail the Rangers by 23 points in the playoff race.
The Capitals have a 29-5-4 record when they score at least three goals. They rank 28th for goals scored and 17th for power play efficiency. On defense, they rank 16th for goals against and 18th for penalty killing.
In Game 1, they failed to create enough offensive opportunities, which proved crucial. Despite being outshot 7-4 in the opening period, they kept the game scoreless at the first intermission.
In the second period, they had an 11-9 shot advantage but were outscored 3-1. After conceding three goals in over two minutes, Martin Fehervary scored his first postseason goal at 7:31, assisted by Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Proteas, making it 3-1.
In the third period, they were outshot 15-6 and outscored 1-0, ending up on the losing side. Charlie Lindgren made 27 saves for the Capitals, who were outshot 31-21.
Despite being underdogs, they have won three of their last four games. They have also covered the puck line in their last four night games against the Rangers after a road loss. However, they lost the second period in their last four games against the Metropolitan Division opponents.
Meanwhile, the New York Rangers, who clinched the President's Trophy with the league's best regular season record, are aiming to extend their series leads to 2-0 at home after a solid win over the Capitals in the first game.
The Rangers have an impressive overall 55-23-4 record and a 19-8-0 record against teams in the Metropolitan Division. They have a +52 scoring differential, having scored 278 goals while allowing 226.
The New York Rangers are seventh in the NHL for goals scored and third for power play efficiency. Defensively, they are seventh for goals against and 33rd for penalty killing.
In the first period on Sunday, the Rangers had more shots on goal (7-4), but neither team scored, leaving the game scoreless at the first intermission. The Rangers were outshot in the second period (11-9) but outscored the Capitals 3-1, taking a lead into final period.
Matt Rempe and Artemi Panarin scored 33 seconds apart, and a third from Jimmy Vesey 1:33 later, giving the Rangers a commanding lead. Igor Shesterkin's 20 saves were a key factor in the victory, where they had a 10-shot advantage with 31 shots on goal compared to 21.
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers: Injury report
The New York Rangers are dealing with significant injuries, with Blake Wheeler and Filip Chytil are both out for the season due to lower body and upper-body injuries respectively.
As for the Capitals, Rasmus Sandin is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Nicklas Backstrom is out with a hip injury, while Nick Jensen is also day-to-day, as he's still in concussion. Ethan Bear is out for personal reasons.
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers: Head-to-head and significant numbers
The Rangers and Capitals have played against each other 245 times, with the Rangers maintaining a 110-106-18-11 overall record.
The Capitals' success rate on penalty kills stands at 79.0%, while the Rangers have a higher success rate of 84.5%.
In terms of power play success, the Capitals have a rate of 20.6%, compared to the Rangers' 26.4%.
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers: Odds and prediction
The Rangers have been the odds favorites in 65 games this season, winning 46, and have a 6-7 record when the odds were less than -278. The Rangers have scored more than 5.5 goals in 50 of 83 games this season, giving them a 73.5% chance of winning this game.
Meanwhile, the Capitals have a 26-38 record as the underdogs in 64 games, and a 1-3 record when the odds were above +223. The Capitals have scored more than 5.5 goals in 42 of 83 games this season, giving them a 31.0% chance of winning this game.
Prediction: Capitals 3-2 Rangers
Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers: Betting tips
Tip 1: Capitals to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 5.5: Yes
Tip 3: Artemi Panarin to score anytime: Yes
Tip 4: Alexander Ovechkin to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Rangers to beat the spread: Yes
