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Game preview
Don’t look now, but it’s another regular-season Game 7! Tonight, the Washington Capitals are in Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers in another must-win game.
“We know our backs are against the wall here,” Connor McMichael said after Saturday’s emphatic 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. “It seems like we’ve got to run the table, and that’s what we’re prepared to do.”
The Cockroach Caps, as termed by Brandon Duhaime, will look to stay alive against a Rangers team that is clicking currently. They’ve won four of their last five games. Rookie Gabe Perreault recorded his first NHL hat trick last night in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
The Capitals will field the same lineup, but there will be one major change. After 10 straight starts, Logan Thompson will sit and yield the net to backup Charlie Lindgren. The Outlaw, who has not started since a huge road win over the Sabres on March 12 (29 saves), has a 9-7-3 record this season with a 3.29 goals-against average, a .886 save percentage, and one shutout.
The 32-year-old backstop has been nearly unbeatable against the Rangers in the past, winning five of six games and posting a 1.49 goals-against average, a .946 save percentage, and two shutouts. He has already beaten them twice this season, too, including a 35-save shutout on October 12.
At the other side of the ice, Igor Shesterkin will get the start for the Rangers.
While Washington needs a win, they’ve already gotten more help from teams in front of them as the Detroit Red Wings lost 5-4 in regulation to the Minnesota Wild earlier in the day. The Capitals would leap over them with a victory. The Philadelphia Flyers have jumped into the third spot in the Metropolitan Division after beating the Boston Bruins in overtime 2-1 earlier in the night. The Ottawa Senators are currently beating the Carolina Hurricanes at the second intermission.
The stakes are HUGE.
Tonight’s game is on national television airing on ESPN. The action will also be animated and simulcast on Disney+ and ESPN+ for the Inside Out Classic. Read more here.
Lines
Washington Capitals
New York Rangers
Goalie matchup
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped. McMichael-Dubois-Wilson and Hutson-Roy get the start.
Sheary scores on the doorstep 23 seconds in — the fastest goal scored by the Rangers this season. Not a GREAT start.
1-0 New York Rangers
Goal: Conor Sheary (7). Assists: T. Kartye (13), A. Fox (41). Time: 0:23
Aliaksei Protas gets tackled by Will Cuyle in the corner, Caps go to their first power play.
Power play
Will Cuylle holding penalty at 1:31 (2 mins)
Rangers kill the power play. Caps had only one shot on goal. Ovechkin was on for the entire 2 minutes.
Shots are only 4-3 NYR 9 minutes in but it feels like the Rangers are completely dominating at 5v5.
McJesus has risen. Breakaway SCOAR.
1-1 tie
Goal: Connor McMichael (12). Assists: T. Wilson (29). Time: 13:45
Seconds later…Ovechkin sets up Protas… AND HE HITS THE POST. LOUDLY.
Cole Hutson doing a literal stickhandling drill around Rangers players in the offensive zone. Holy jumpin’.
Penalty kill
Dylan Strome delay of game penalty at 19:02 (2 mins)
At intermission: The game is tied 1-1. Shots on goal are 6-6.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped. The Rangers start with 1:02 remaining on a power play.
Caps kill the penalty and oh no…
Back-to-back delay of game penalties lol – this time Beavui
Penalty kill
Anthony Beauvillier delay of game penalty at 1:09 (2 mins)
JT Miller on the doorstep.
2-1 New York Rangers
PPG: JT Miller (17). Assists: M. Zibanejad (40), A. Fox (42). Time: 3:07
Rangers dominating. Caps teetering…. sdklafkdlsjaklfkldsa
TVR beat to the goal post by Cuylle.
3-1 New York Rangers
Goal: Will Cuylle (18). Assists: B. Schneider (16), J. Brodzinski (10). Time: 5:53
Duhaime draws a penalty at neutral!
Power play
Will Cuylle holding penalty at 6:28 (2 mins)
Caps need to score here.
They don’t and out of the penalty box, Cuylle scores again.
4-1 New York Rangers
Goal: Will Cuylle (19). Assists: V. Trocheck (36), V. Gavrikov (20). Time: 8:33
Zibanejad just barely stopped by Lindgren on a breakaway. Off his pad, off the post, and out.
Ovechkin from the high slot, wide open, but Shesterkin turns him away.
Shesterkin stops Protas down the right win on a huge shot.
5-1 New York Rangers
Goal: Adam Sykora (3). Assists: N. Laba (14), J. Chmelar (2). Time: 13:22
Jakob Chychrun gets wrecked in a fight by Will Cuylle after a clean hit on Ryan Leonard.
Bradon Duhaime gets thrown to the ice in a fight with Tye Kartye. They get five minute majors. Caps getting wrecked on the scoreboard and in the fights.
Penalty kill
Brandon Duhaime roughing penalty at 17:55 (2 mins)
6-1 New York Rangers
PPG: Adam Fox (8). Assists: M. Zibanejad (41), J. Miller (33). Time: 18:25
At intermission: The Caps are playing embarrassingly and wasting all of our time.
3rd Period>
Puck is dropped.
Trocheck scores on a 2-on-1. Bad play by Beauvi. Chuck beleaguered.
7-1 New York Rangers
Vincent Trocheck (16). Unassisted. Time: 2:27
Caps get a power play.
Penalty kill
Braden Schneider slashing penalty at 3:03 (2 mins)
Caps can’t convert.
Big hit by Tom Wilson on Will Borgen in the corner.
Chychrun takes a puck off the face in front of the net after losing a puck battle.
Penalty kill
Connor McMichael tripping penalty at 10:23 (2 mins).
Hendrix Lapierre drops the gloves with Noah Laba and lands a bunch of punches. Best fight of the night for the Caps.
Big shot down the right wing from Ovechkin. Shesterkin makes the save. It may have hit him in the mask.
Will Cuylle hat trick.
8-1 New York Rangers
Will Cuylle (20). Assists: M. Zibanejad (42), A. Lafrenière (31). Time: 19:28
Rangers win 8-1. Embarrassing.
Utterly embarrassing beatdown from an already eliminated team: Rangers beat Capitals 8-1
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