Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: 12 things about Rangers vs. Capitals

Sorry all people of New York City. You have been deprived of a magical Rangers/Islanders playoff series to close out the Nassau Coliseum. Thanks Washington Capitals, for beating the Isles in the first round and ruining our dream.

Whatever, this should still be a good series between two teams of high-level talent, and important storylines. Can the Rangers continue their march to a repeat Stanley Cup Final? Can Alex Ovechkin finally make it to an Eastern Conference Final? Which owner is nuttier, Ted Leonsis of Washington or James Dolan of the Rangers?

Never mind, pretty much all owners in the NHL are psycho to some degree. At least Leonsis is self-made.

Both teams are strangely similar. They’re both fast. They both have some excellent two-way forwards. Their both three-pairs deep on defense. They both had so-so #fancystats during the season. They both go at least three deep on their lines, though the Rangers’ group is a little more veteran. This very well has the potential to be the best series of the second round. And behold … our preview!

1. Familiarity

These teams have played each other a TON in the playoffs of late. Since 2009, the Rangers and the Caps have played each other four times. Each series went seven games, except the Caps, Rangers 2011 first round match up where Washington won in five games. These tend to be bruising affairs that leave the other team slightly wounded for the next round. Rangers/Islanders would have been awesome for so many reasons, but this is the next best thing.

2. Barry Trotz can coach offense, and young, Russian forwards

Caps coach Barry Trotz often talks about ‘hockey gods’ like they’re a real, actual thing. If so, they smiled on him when Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the game winning goal against the Islanders in their Game 7 first round series. Trotz got a rap in Nashville that he couldn’t coax offense out of younger players. And his 200-foot style stymied the creativity of talented Russians and sent them back to the Kontinetnal Hockey League. Though the 22-year-old Kuznetsov has been yanked around a bit by Trotz this year, but in the first round against the Islanders he looked like a star in the making with five points. Also noted, the Caps allowed just 11 shots on goal in Game 7. It was a vintage defensive Trotz-like team. Only now, he has the offensive horses that his management never gave him in Nashville … except for the two-year Paul Kariya era.

3. It’s Bizarre-O 2011 Western Conference semifinal 

In 2011, the Nashville Predators played the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference semifinal. It was a six game series and the Canucks outlasted the Preds, and a virtuoso performance by Joel Ward that saw him score four goals and eight points. The coach of that Canucks team? Current Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault. Trotz coached that Nashville squad, which included Ward and current Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein. The gang is back together again!

4. Both teams are loaded on D

The playoffs are always a battle of attrition. And if you have the right types of numbers in a certain position, you can deal with injuries or problems. The Rangers beat the Penguins in the first round without Klein. Trade deadline acquisition Ketih Yandle played, but seemed to be fighting illness at points. It didn’t matter for New York. That’s because their defense is so good, they could handle a lot of injury problems. The Capitals signings of Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik in the offseason are poor long-term deals, but both were quite important in Washington’s first round win over the Isles.

6. Holtbeast?

Braden Holtby played 73 games this year. The last NHL goaltender to play 70-or-more contests and win a Stanley Cup the same season was Martin Brodeur in 2003. He looked well … gassed on New York’s softy that tied Game 7.

But he rebounded and was strong when he needed to be in the third period, albeit making 10 saves on 11 total shots on goal. We’re all sort of waiting for him to collapse, but he has a 1.63 goals against average and .943 save percentage this postseason. His career playoff numbers are quite solid with a 1.95 goals against average and .933 save percentage in 27 games played. Those are good numbers and a good sample size.

7. Rick Nash needs to score

Why is he such a horrible playoff performer? Who knows. Some guys just can’t fight through tighter checking and stronger preparation and scouting from opponents. Nash seems to be one of these players. After a wonderful regular season that saw him score 42 goals, he had just one against the Pittsburgh defense that was missing oh … everyone who was any good.  Nash’s playoff numbers are terrible. He has just six goals in 46 games. The Rangers are a score-by-committee team, but Nash is the home run hitter. He needs a little more pine tar on that bat.

8. John Amirante will hopefully grace us with his bellowing vocals again

The weirdest story around the Rangers this offseason involves their longtime National Anthem singer, John Amirante. At one point the team said his 35-year run singing before the games was over. Now he’s going to come back from time-to-time per Newsday? There is really no discernable Rangers-centric characteristic involving MSG except for Amirante’s loud, sonorous vocals. Regardless of what’s going on with him and the Rangers, he gets the people going.

Then

Now

9. The Caps have the best celebrity moment of the playoffs

The Rangers love to show some of their biggest star fans on their jumbotron during games. Nothing beats Wizards players John Wall and Paul Pierce rocking red for Game 7 against the Islanders … and totally owning it.

10. Is Washington’s postseason power play solvable?

The Capitals hummed along during the regular season on the power play, leading the NHL at 25.3 percent. The formula was simple, set up Alex Ovechkin on top of the circle and let him blast one-timers at the goaltender. During the season, when pre-scouting essentially lasts a day, this is hard to stop. In the playoffs, when you set up your defense for one team you can defend it better. Washington scored at just a 15.4 percent power play clip against the Islanders in the first round.

11. Battle of the goal songs

Rangers

Caps

12. Who wins?

Capitals in 7. They have the structured type defense to slow down the Rangers and the speed to keep up with New York up front. My only question revolves around Holtby and if he is totally gassed from 70-plus regular season games and a grueling series.