The NHL Playoffs continue tonight when the Washington Capitals take on the New York Rangers in an Eastern Conference matchup. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on NBC Sports Network. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Rangers listed as a big favorite to get the job done and stay in the series.
The New York Rangers have no room for error now, down 3-1 in the series to Washington. New York won the President's Trophy during the regular season but now find themselves in a situation where they have to win the next three games against the Capitals in order to reach the Eastern Conference finals. It won't be a fun task for the Rangers, who have scrapped and clawed their way through four tough games.
In those four games the Rangers have just five goals, three of them coming in their only win this series, Game 2. Washington hasn't exactly been scoring a ton of goals themselves, with only seven tallies in the four games, but they've done just enough to get the job done.
Washington goalie Braden Holtby stopped 28 of the 29 shots he faced in the last game and has been a brick wall the Rangers are shooting at so far. It might only take a couple of key stops, but Holtby has been dominating the Rangers in between the pipes.
Henrik Lundqvist hasn't been playing poorly, either. The Rangers have just stunk offensively. They might be able to draw upon some past success, though. The Rangers played in the Stanley Cup Finals last year while Washington hasn't been outside of the second round in the Alex Ovechkin era. The Capitals are one win away from playing for a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals and if they start to press or play differently because of the spot they are in, the Rangers need to take advantage.
Tonight, at home, New York will play well on both ends of the ice. Lundqvist will need to continue his stellar play and he'll get the best of the Caps tonight.
Free Pick: New York
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