Game #50 Preview: New York Rangers at Washington Capitals

Where: Verizon Center, Washington DC

When:  January 24, 2011, 7:30 PM

History:           

Caps Record on this Date: 4-9-2-0

Caps Game 50 Record: 15-15-4-0

All-Time vs. NYR: 89-76-18-5

All-Time at Home vs. NYR: 50-32-9-3

Last Season vs. NYR: 3-1-0

Last Meeting: 12/12/10, WAS 0 NYR 7

Season Series: 1-1-0

This Year:

WAS Record: 27-14-8

Standings Points: 62

Division Rank: 2nd

Conference Rank: 5th

Last Game: 1/22/11, WAS 4 TOR 1

Streak: Won 2

NYR Record: 28-19-3

Standings Points: 59

Division Rank: 3rd

Conference Rank: 7th    

Last Game: 1/22/11, NYR 3 ATL 2 (OT-SO)

Streak: Won 1

Probable Line-Ups:     

Washington

Forward Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 25 CHIMERA

Forward Line 2: 21 LAICH, 90 JOHANSSON, 22 KNUBLE  

Forward Line 3: 26 HENDRICKS, 85 PERRAULT, 83 BEAGLE

Forward Line 4: 17 KING, 15 GORDON, 39 STECKEL

Defense Pair 1: 52 GREEN, 55 SCHULTZ

Defense Pair 2: 27 ALZNER, 74 CARLSON

Defense Pair 3: 23 HANNAN, 4 ERSKINE

Goalie: 1 VARLAMOV

Back-up Goalie: 70 HOLTBY

Rangers

Forward Line 1: 16 AVERY, 42 ANISIMOV, 10 GABORIK

Forward Line 2: 86 WOLSKI, 21 STEPAN, 36 ZUCCARELLO

Forward Line 3: 25 KOLARIK, 22 BOYLE, 8 PRUST

Forward Line 4: 39 DUPONT, 45 NEWBURY, 23 DRURY

Defense Pair 1: 18 STAAL, 5 GIRARDI

Defense Pair 2: 38 SAUER, 44 EMINGER

Defense Pair 3: 97 GILROY, 27 MCDONAGH

Goalie: 30 LUNDQVIST

Back-up Goalie: 43 BIRON

Injuries:

Washington – 3 POTI (upper body) IR, 10 BRADLEY (broken finger) IR, 28 SEMIN (hip) DTD, 16 FEHR (upper body) DTD, 30 NEUVIRTH (lower body) DTD

NYR – 17 DUBINSKY (fractured leg) IR, 31 FROLOV (knee) IR, 94 BOOGAARD (shoulder, head) IR, 26 CHRISTENSEN (knee) IR, 24 CALLAHAN (broken hand) IR, 20 PROSPAL (knee) IR, 19 FEDOTENKO (shoulder) IR

Caps Milestones:

Jason Chimera needs 5 goals to reach 100 in his career.

Brooks Laich needs 7 goals to reach 100 in his career.

Alex Ovechkin needs 8 assists to reach 300 in his career.

Preview:

During the Capitals December 8-game losing streak the worst beating came at the hands of the New York Rangers. The 7-0 blowout of the Capitals led to the change in philosophy that has seen the team respond by giving up 3 or more goals only 5 times in 17 games since. The Capitals picked up 5 of a possible 6 point on a three game road trip and will try to continue their success at home against the Rangers. The Caps have scored the first goal in their last two games and have been able to control the pace of play in both of those contests. The one area I would like to see improvement is team discipline.  Washington has taken more penalties than the opposition 7 times in the last 10 games. Tonight’s game should be another close game for the Capitals. The Rangers have been killed by injury but this is a very hardworking team that will not lie over. I expect the Capitals number one line to play a big game tonight. Alex Ovechkin is coming off a hat trick performance in Toronto and has 6 points in his last three games. He is starting to look like the Alex we all know and love. The Caps will need some help from the other lines and look for a goal from the third or fourth lines. It should be physical and I would expect some fisticuffs early on to set the tone but the Capitals will outlast the Rangers in the end.

Joe’s prediction: Caps 3 NYR 1

Official Preview