Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily Picks: Rangers, Capitals set for Game 7 – CBSSports.com
Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily Picks, where CBS hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz get you ready for every game every day of the postseason and share their predictions for each.
Series tied 3-3
The rest of the conference finals field is set. All that’s left to decide is which one of these two teams is going to be the last one in. The second round has been somewhat derided for being less interesting than the first round. That’s probably going to be true a lot of years in the NHL’s latest format for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but this particular series has bucked the trend. It’s probably been the best of the entire postseason.
The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers traded wins in the first two games. Then the Caps won two, then the Rangers won two and this series gets a rather fitting end: Game 7 in Madison Square Garden. It’s center stage for the NHL with two popular teams, many star players and the natural tension that comes in a series that will come down to one last game.
Momentum is on the Rangers’ side. History is on the Rangers’ side. But this Game 7 seems far from decided. This Capitals team has been battling throughout the playoffs and already has a Game 7 win under its belt from the first round. Even after losing Game 6 to the Rangers, the aura around the Caps was one of confidence or perhaps even defiance.
Much has been made of Alex Ovechkin‘s comments saying that the Capitals will win the series. Caps head coach Barry Trotz lauded Ovechkin’s leadership. Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault said Tuesday that his club will let their actions do the talking.
A Game 7 doesn’t need more drama, but this one has plenty.
There’s the historical element, with the Rangers having won their last two Game 7 situations against the Capitals in 2011-12 and 2012-13. New York is also on a Game 7 winning streak, having won their last five in this very situation. A win Wednesday them for the NHL record for consecutive Game 7 wins. This team also is well schooled in elimination games, having played in 16 of them since 2012. They’ve won 13 of those contests. New York is also unbeaten in its last nine elimination games on MSG ice.
The Captials have to look back to 2009 for the last time they beat the Rangers in a Game 7. If nothing else, that’s proof it is possible. They also have to grab hold of the motivation of the opportunity to make some new history. That is something Trotz has been preaching. He even drew some inspiration from the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who were able to rewrite their history with a World Series win. This may not be on as grand a scale, but the Capitals are looking to escape a dubious playoff history.
Should Washington win, it would be just their third trip to the Eastern Conference Final and first since 1998. For Ovechkin, this would be his first trip to the conference finals. After missing the playoffs entirely last season, the Caps have a golden opportunity to flip the narrative.
Beyond all of the historical elements in this game, the actual hockey should be pretty great. All six games in this series have been decided by one goal. The margin for error, with each team’s season on the line, becomes slimmer now.
The goaltenders have been incredible in this series and should each be major factors in Game 7. Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist has a .941 save percentage on 167 shots against in this series, which has helped his career save percentage against Washington in the playoffs improve to .929. Lundqvist has also been a wall in his last five Game 7 appearances with a ridiculous .973 save percentage.
Braden Holtby has been a hair better in this series with a .944 save percentage on 197 shots against. His career playoff save percentage against New York is now at .931 in 20 games. One of these two guys has the potential to steal the game.
Predicting a winner in this game is a fool’s errand. Actually, predicting any single-game outcome is a crapshoot. There aren’t enough numbers to crunch and extra analysis you can provide that can project what is going to happen in a slippery game played on ice with a bouncing puck and danger at every corner. But here goes nothing…
Pick: Capitals 3, Rangers 2
Three Stars
1. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals: With his stellar play between the pipes all postseason, the Capitals need Holtby to be at his very best as the Capitals face elimination for the first time in this series. In the Game 7 win against the Islanders, Holtby barely had anything to do as he saw just 11 shots. He should expect a heavier work load in this one, though. A big performance in this Game 7 would cement Holtby as the Conn Smythe favorite at the halfway point of the postseason.
2. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals: Backstrom has been extremely quiet in this series, perhaps too quiet. With just one assist over the first six games of this series, he’s got to break out sooner or later, right? There’s no better time for Washington’s overshadowed star to put his stamp on this series.
3. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers: If the Rangers end up losing this game, it won’t be because of Lundqvist. He’s been too good all series and too good in elimination games over his career to lay an egg now. It’s essentially been a given that Lundqvist is going to give the Rangers a chance in every game. That should continue, especially when the lights are brightest.
The Rangers and Capitals are set for another classic Game 7. (Getty Images)
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