Game #35 Washington Capitals at New York Rangers

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When: December 23, 2008, 7:00 PM

History:
Caps Record on this Date: 11-6-4-0
Caps Game 35 Record: 15-13-5-0
All-Time vs. NYR: 83-74-18-4
All-Time at NYR: 35-43-9-1
Last Season vs. NYR: 2-2-0
Last Meeting: 11/10/08, WAS 3 NYR 1

This Year:
WAS Record: 20-11-3
Standings Points: 43
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 3rd
Last Game: 12/20/08, WAS 1 PHI 7
Streak: Loss 1

NYR Record: 22-12-2
Standings Points: 43
Division Rank: 1st
Conference Rank: 2nd
Last Game: 12/20/08, NYR 2 SAN 3
Streak: Loss 1

Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 KOZLOV
Forward Line 2: 14 FLEISCHMANN, 92 NYLANDER, 16 FEHR
Forward Line 3: 21 LAICH, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Forward Line 4: ???, ???, 33 GIROUX
Defense Pair 1: ???, 26 MORRISONN
Defense Pair 2: 63 COLLINS, ???
Defense Pair 3: 23 JURCINA, 27 ALZNER
Goalie: 1 JOHNSON
Back-up Goalie: 60 THEODORE

Rangers
Forward Line 1: 91 NASLUND, 19 GOMEZ, 13 ZHERDEV
Forward Line 2: 10 DAWES, 23 DRURY, 24 CALLAHAN
Forward Line 3: 25 PRUCHA, 17 DUBINSKY, 20 SJOSTROM,
Forward Line 4: 34 VOROS, 49 FRITSCHE, 28 ORR
Defense Pair 1: 18 STAAL, 3 ROZSIVAL
Defense Pair 2: 5 GIRARDI, 6 REDDEN
Defense Pair 3: 27 MARA, 45 KALININ
Goalie: 30 LUNDQVIST
Back-up Goalie: 40 VALIQUETTE

Injuries:
Washington – 2 POTHIER (concussion) IR, 91 FEDOROV (ankle) DTD, 55 SCHULTZ (broken finger) IR, 4 ERSKINE (undisclosed) DTD, 17 CLARK (forearm) IR, 89 SLOAN (foot) DTD, (shoulder) DTD, 28 SEMIN (back) DTD, 52 GREEN (shoulder) DTD, 87 BRASHEAR (leg) DTD, 39 STECKEL (cold) DTD, 3 POTI (groin) DTD
Rangers – none

Caps Milestones:
Brooks Laich needs 5 points to reach 100 in his career.
Mike Green needs 9 points to reach 100 in his career.
Tom Poti needs 9 points to reach 300 in his career.
Chris Clark needs 4 penalty minutes to reach 600 in his career.

Preview:
After a humbling loss in Philly and the loss of possibly 4 more regulars to injury, the Caps head to New York to face the Rangers. The question will be who will be in the lineup for the Caps if all the players on the injured list are unable to play. Calls may be going out to Hershey to fill the holes but as to whom we will have to wait and see. To compensate the veterans will have to step up for the Caps. Look for the top line of Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov to pick up the slack and provide enough offense to help out the young defense corps. Watch the shot totals and if the Caps are near the Rangers they should be in good shape. I think the youth movement will push them to a victory.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 4 NYR 2

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