Good luck guys. I love watching Caps-NYR games and I actually like Rangers fans. You guys are really classy. Hopefully you guy make it a decent series.
I think of all teams that made the playoffs in the East, Washington is the best matchup for us. They aren't overly fast, not overly deep, don't have great defense or goaltending.
I think we should be able to beat them rather easily, the x-factor would be our inferior coach with his line jugglings, benchings, etc.
Yes our defense and/or goaltending are not great even though were fourth in goals against.
Good luck though
I really think this fallacy may be due to the games the Caps played against the Rangers. You really can't blame a Ranger fan when they beat the Caps 6-0 and 7-0.
They also lost 5-3 and won 2-1, but the 7 and 6-0 games are eye poppers.
I really think this fallacy may be due to the games the Caps played against the Rangers. You really can't blame a Ranger fan when they beat the Caps 6-0 and 7-0.
They also lost 5-3 and won 2-1, but the 7 and 6-0 games are eye poppers.
Yes if you saw those games it would be pretty difficult to think that the caps were good defensively.
Their defense is actually pretty darn good. Their offense is the part of their game that has been struggling this year - we scored more goals overall than the Caps.
They have been better this year agreed but it doesn't define them as a team by any means. I think it's exploitable. Rangers team defense is much stronger plus Hank. Respect their offense but don't be afraid of it and play disciplined smart hockey and you got em.
If our offense can match our defense, we'll do fine..
Gaborik and Lundqvist must not have any "of nights" if we want to get past the caps..
Gaborik's been having an off night pretty much every game this season and we've done fairly decent.
I'm much more concerned with Staal and Girardi who have seemingly been off their game of late. If they play the way they are capable of playing, I think we win this series. If they **** the bed, Ovi will run rampant and we will get blown out.
My brain tells me Caps in 6/7, my heart tells me Rangers in 6
Yes if you saw those games it would be pretty difficult to think that the caps were good defensively.
I was a bit rude with my original post. Sorry.
I agree somewhat, but I am not sold on the Capitals defense. They are obviously better than they were, but non of their denfensemen scare me. Alzner and Carlson are, obviously, very good young dmen, but they did not play well in any game against the Rangers. Green is still iffy in his own zone and I have never seen Wideman play anything resembling good defense. Every other d-man for the Caps is very suspect. I am no saying that they will not beat the Rangers, but they are a very good matchup because Staal and Girardi can shut down the Ovechkin line, and Sauer and McDonagh may be able to handle everyone else.
I agree somewhat, but I am not sold on the Capitals defense. They are obviously better than they were, but non of their denfensemen scare me. Alzner and Carlson are, obviously, very good young dmen, but they did not play well in any game against the Rangers. Green is still iffy in his own zone and I have never seen Wideman play anything resembling good defense. Every other d-man for the Caps is very suspect. I am no saying that they will not beat the Rangers, but they are a very good matchup because Staal and Girardi can shut down the Ovechkin line, and Sauer and McDonagh may be able to handle everyone else.
Staal always seems to do a good job against Ovechkin. And with Sauer and McD playing so well, you'd think we'll only have trouble when we play in Washington and Boudreau uses talent and speed to exploit McCabe and Eminger. Hopefully their experience can win out over their (lack of) speed. And having an elite goaltender doesn't hurt our cause either. Let's hope one of their goalies doesn't suddenly decide to awaken like the way Varlamov suddenly did for them in 2009. Or Niemi or Leighton did last year. I think they are going with Neuvirth? We've lit him up before. If Washington can snag Vokoun or Bryzgalov over the summer, they are gonna be naaaaasty! I wonder if they go the Russian route.
On offense, Semin also seems to have a wrist injury of sorts and Ovechkin recently took an extended period of time off to heal up some injuries so it's possible he isn't 100%.
They just got Green back but you have to wonder if he isn't 100% either. Wideman has some sort of leg injury so if he manages to play, we may be able to exploit him with speed. Not that he is much of a defender to begin with. Tom Poti MIA? Carlson and Alzner are good young defenders. but they are young. and beyond those two, Schultz, Hannan, Erskine don't give me much pause.
I'm still so amped that we made it, was yelling and cheering at a wedding when I kept seeing Tampa score. I can see the Rangers taking this one, and if they do, I say its in 6.
Let's hope one of their goalies doesn't suddenly decide to awaken like the way Varlamov suddenly did for them in 2009. Or Niemi or Leighton did last year. I think they are going with Neuvirth? We've lit him up before. If Washington can snag Vokoun or Bryzgalov over the summer, they are gonna be naaaaasty! I wonder if they go the Russian route.
