Where: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
When: February 25, 2011, 7:00 PM
History:
Caps
Record on this Date: 5-9-2-0
Caps
Game 62 Record: 13-16-3-2
All-Time
vs. NYR: 89-76-18-6
All-Time
at home vs. NYR: 50-32-9-4
Last
Season vs. NYR: 3-1-0
Last
Meeting: 1/24/11, WAS 1 NYR 2 (OT-SO)
Season
Series: 1-1-1
This Year:
WAS
Record: 32-19-10
Standings
Points: 74
Division
Rank: 2nd
Conference
Rank: 5th
Last
Game: 2/21/11, WAS 1 PIT 0
Streak:
Win 2
NYR
Record: 32-26-4
Standings
Points: 68
Division
Rank: 3rd
Conference
Rank: 7th
Last
Game: 2/22/11, NYR 4 CAR 3 (OT-SO)
Streak: Win 1
Probable Line-Ups:
Washington
Forward
Line 1: 8 OVECHKIN, 19 BACKSTROM, 22 KNUBLE
Forward
Line 2: 21 LAICH, 90 JOHANSSON, 28 SEMIN
Forward
Line 3: 26 HENDRICKS, 85 PERRAULT, 25 CHIMERA
Forward
Line 4: 39 STECKEL, 15 GORDON, 10 BRADLEY
Defense
Pair 1: 23 HANNAN, 55 SCHULTZ
Defense
Pair 2: 27 ALZNER, 74 CARLSON
Defense
Pair 3:89 SLOAN, 4 ERSKINE
Goalie:
1 VARLAMOV
Back-up
Goalie: 30 NEUVIRTH
New York
Forward
Line 1: 17 DUBINSKY, 42 ANISIMOV, 24 CALLAHAN
Forward
Line 2: 20 PROSPAL, 26 CHRISTENSEN, 22 BOYLE
Forward
Line 3: 86 WOLOSKI, 21 STEPAN, 36 ZUCCARELLO
Forward
Line 4: 16 AVERY, 45 NEWBURY, 8 PRUST
Defense
Pair 1: 18 STAAL, 5 GIRARDI
Defense
Pair 2: 27 MCDONAGH, 38 SAUER
Defense
Pair 3: 4 DEL ZOTTO, 97 GILROY
Goalie:
30 LUNDQVIST
Back-up
Goalie: 43 BIRON
Injuries:
Washington
– 3 POTI (upper body) IR, 16 FEHR (upper body) IR, 52 GREEN (inner ear) DTD
NYR
– BOOGAARD (concussion) IR, DRURY (knee) IR, GABORIK (concussion) IR, FEDOTENKO
(shoulder) IR, FROLOV (knee) IR
Caps Milestones:
Jason
Chimera needs 4 goals to reach 100 in his career.
Brooks
Laich needs 4 goals to reach 100 in his career.
Alex
Ovechkin needs 2 assists to reach 300 in his career.
Preview:
They
the hardest game for a team after a big road trip is the first game, whoever “they”
are. For Washington, however, there should be no reason to show up unprepared
as they meet the Rangers for the fourth and final time of the season. The last
two matchups between these two teams has seen the Caps get blown away 7-0 and
then they blew a 1-goal lead in the third period and lost in the shootout. In
the final two games of the road trip the Capitals allowed 1 goal against and
appear to be getting back their top line scoring. Alex Ovechkin has 4 goals and
7 points in the last 6 games. We will have to see if the broken thumb Nicklas
Backstrom suffered in Pittsburgh will have any effect on the number one line.
The Rangers sit in the 7th spot in the East with 4 teams within 8 points of
them in the standings. The Rangers lost Marian Gaborik to a concussion last
week so this one should be a low scoring affair. The Ranger will play a
hardworking game against the Capitals and try to keep them to the outsides of
the ice. The key for Washington will be their work ethic and special teams. If
they can keep the effort high they can draw penalties and they will need to
convert on the power play. The extra man attack has goals in three consecutive
games and this trend will have to continue. I expect a very physical, grid it out
sort of game with the Caps pulling it out late.
Joe’s
prediction: Caps 3 NYR 1
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