The New York Rangers (26-18-4) are back in the playoffs for the third straight year and will also face off against the Washington Capitals (27-18-3) for the third straight season in the NHL playoffs; it will also be the fourth time since 2009 that these two teams face off in the postseason.
In the 2008-09 playoff, the Rangers gave the Capitals a scare by running out to a 2-0 lead in the series. The Capitals promptly tied it but the Rangers defeated Washington in Game 5 to setup an elimination match at the Madison Square Garden. Washington responded with two big wins and won the series 4-3.
In 2010-11, Washington dispatched the Rangers in five games, but suffered a crushing defeat in 2011-12 in a seven game series. Overall, the Capitals are 4-3 in playoff series against the Rangers.
More importantly, the Rangers won two out of three games in the season series. The Rangers defeated the Caps 2-1 back on Feb. 17 and followed that win with a 4-1 victory on March 10. In the final meeting, the Capitals managed a 3-2-shootout win over New York.
The Rangers will win if... They continue to get scoring from other sources not including Rick Nash and Derek Stephan. The two players led the Rangers in points, but they will need players like Derek Brassard to keep on producing. Ryan Clowe was also brought in to provide playoff intensity and experience and he will be heavily relied on to give his team the mental toughness to overcome a tough playoff run.
Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh will also need to shutdown a red-hot Alex Ovechkin if this team wants to progress as the Capitals go where Ovechkin takes them.
The Capitals Will Win if... The team continues to play with the offensive and defensive prowess it has exhibited at the end of the season. Braden Holtby will also need to elevate his game to the level it was at a year ago when he led the Capitals through the Bruins and to a fateful game 7 with the Rangers.
Washington will also need to continue its hot play on the power play. Rangers' goalie Henrik Lundqvist will be in top form and will not be an easy opponent.
Predictions: The Rangers win 4-2. They may have ended the year in sixth place, but their play in recent weeks has shown that they are closer to the first place team from last season than they are to the team that was on display earlier this year.