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NY RANGERS
WASHINGTON |
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Final
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| Eastern Conference Semifinals - Best of 7 - Game 4 - WAS Leads 2-1 | |
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| 75 | NY RANGERS | +100 | Ov 4.5,-140 | -110 | Ov 4.5,-140 | | 76 | WASHINGTON | -120 | Un 4.5,+120 | -110 | Un 4.5,+120 |
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| All Games | 58-32-0 | +19.9 | 58-32 | +19.9 | 40-38 | 3.0 | 31.4 | 2.3 | 29.2 | | Team Stats (Road Games) | 30-14-0 | +17.8 | 30-14 | +17.8 | 18-19 | 3.0 | 30.6 | 2.2 | 28.6 | | Last 5 Games | 3-2-0 | +0.4 | 3-2 | +0.4 | 0-4 | 1.6 | 31.4 | 1.4 | 28.8 | | Playoff Games | 5-3-0 | +0.6 | 5-3 | +0.6 | 1-6 | 1.9 | 30.9 | 1.6 | 26.9 | | vs. Division | 28-10-0 | +16.5 | 28-10 | +16.5 | 16-17 | 2.9 | 32.0 | 2.1 | 29.7 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 90 | 267 | 91 | 76 | 88 | 12 | 16 | 2829 | 9.4% | 260 | 43 | 16.5% | 439 | | Team Stats (Road Games) | 44 | 131 | 46 | 38 | 42 | 5 | 10 | 1345 | 9.7% | 123 | 20 | 16.3% | 218 | | Team Stats (Last 5 Games) | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 157 | 5.1% | 14 | 2 | 14.3% | 14 | | Team Stats (Playoffs) | 8 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 247 | 6.1% | 28 | 4 | 14.3% | 28 | | Team Stats (vs. Division) | 38 | 110 | 40 | 26 | 35 | 9 | 8 | 1215 | 9.1% | 133 | 19 | 14.3% | 181 | | Stats Against (All Games) | | 205 | 56 | 72 | 70 | 7 | 11 | 2632 | 7.8% | 253 | 40 | 15.8% | 348 | | Stats Against (Road Games) | | 96 | 34 | 25 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 1260 | 7.6% | 129 | 19 | 14.7% | 166 | | Stats Against (Last 5 Games) | | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 144 | 4.9% | 11 | 1 | 9.1% | 13 | | Stats Against (Playoffs) | | 13 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 215 | 6.0% | 18 | 3 | 16.7% | 25 | | Stats Against (vs. Division) | | 81 | 21 | 27 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 1127 | 7.2% | 109 | 16 | 14.7% | 139 |
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| HENRIK LUNDQVIST (All Games) | 54 | 54 | 1543 | 1427 | 92.5% | 4 | 35-19 | +11.4 | 35-19-0 | +11 | 23-22 | | HENRIK LUNDQVIST (Road Games) | 23 | 23 | 645 | 599 | 92.9% | 1 | 16-7 | +9.9 | 16-7-0 | +9 | 8-10 | | HENRIK LUNDQVIST (vs. Division) | 26 | 26 | 768 | 716 | 93.2% | 2 | 19-7 | +10.7 | 19-7-0 | +10 | 10-12 | | HENRIK LUNDQVIST (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 4 | 121 | 115 | 95.0% | 1 | 2-2 | -0.6 | 2-2-0 | -1 | 0-3 | | HENRIK LUNDQVIST (Playoff Games) | 8 | 8 | 215 | 202 | 94.0% | 1 | 5-3 | +0.6 | 5-3-0 | 0 | 1-6 | | MACKENZIE SKAPSKI (All Games) | 2 | 2 | 45 | 44 | 97.8% | 0 | 2-0 | +2 | 2-0-0 | +2 | 0-2 | | MACKENZIE SKAPSKI (Road Games) | 2 | 2 | 45 | 44 | 97.8% | 0 | 2-0 | +2 | 2-0-0 | +2 | 0-2 | | MACKENZIE SKAPSKI (vs. Division) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | MACKENZIE SKAPSKI (Last 4 Games) | 2 | 2 | 45 | 44 | 97.8% | 0 | 2-0 | +2 | 2-0-0 | +2 | 0-2 | | MACKENZIE SKAPSKI (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 | | CAMERON TALBOT (All Games) | 36 | 34 | 1038 | 961 | 92.6% | 4 | 21-13 | +6.6 | 21-13-0 | +7 | 17-14 | | CAMERON TALBOT (Road Games) | 19 | 19 | 568 | 522 | 91.9% | 1 | 12-7 | +5.9 | 12-7-0 | +6 | 10-7 | | CAMERON TALBOT (vs. Division) | 13 | 12 | 356 | 331 | 93.0% | 2 | 9-3 | +5.8 | 9-3-0 | +6 | 6-5 | | CAMERON TALBOT (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 4 | 110 | 99 | 90.0% | 0 | 2-2 | -1 | 2-2-0 | -1 | 4-0 | | CAMERON TALBOT (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 |
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| All Games | 51-41-0 | +1.4 | 51-41 | +1.4 | 40-47 | 2.9 | 29.6 | 2.4 | 29.0 | | Team Stats (Home Games) | 26-19-0 | -4.2 | 26-19 | -4.2 | 22-22 | 3.0 | 29.8 | 2.3 | 27.2 | | Last 5 Games | 3-2-0 | +1.4 | 3-2 | +1.4 | 0-4 | 1.6 | 29.6 | 1.6 | 29.2 | | Playoff Games | 6-4-0 | +2.2 | 6-4 | +2.2 | 2-7 | 2.1 | 30.4 | 1.9 | 29.6 | | vs. Division | 23-17-0 | +2.4 | 23-17 | +2.4 | 15-22 | 2.7 | 29.2 | 2.2 | 29.2 |
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| Team Stats (All Games) | 92 | 263 | 72 | 93 | 87 | 11 | 16 | 2723 | 9.7% | 255 | 63 | 24.7% | 452 | | Team Stats (Home Games) | 45 | 133 | 42 | 46 | 40 | 5 | 7 | 1341 | 9.9% | 127 | 33 | 26.0% | 233 | | Team Stats (Last 5 Games) | 5 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 148 | 5.4% | 8 | 2 | 25.0% | 15 | | Team Stats (Playoffs) | 10 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 304 | 6.9% | 18 | 3 | 16.7% | 38 | | Team Stats (vs. Division) | 40 | 109 | 34 | 26 | 44 | 5 | 7 | 1167 | 9.3% | 115 | 22 | 19.1% | 189 | | Stats Against (All Games) | | 222 | 67 | 76 | 67 | 12 | 11 | 2664 | 8.3% | 288 | 51 | 17.7% | 385 | | Stats Against (Home Games) | | 102 | 32 | 31 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 1222 | 8.3% | 132 | 20 | 15.2% | 171 | | Stats Against (Last 5 Games) | | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 146 | 5.5% | 10 | 1 | 10.0% | 13 | | Stats Against (Playoffs) | | 19 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 296 | 6.4% | 22 | 1 | 4.5% | 33 | | Stats Against (vs. Division) | | 88 | 31 | 24 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 1168 | 7.5% | 119 | 18 | 15.1% | 159 |
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| PHILIPP GRUBAUER (All Games) | 2 | 2 | 46 | 41 | 89.1% | 0 | 2-0 | +2 | 2-0-0 | +2 | 1-1 | | PHILIPP GRUBAUER (Home Games) | 2 | 2 | 46 | 41 | 89.1% | 0 | 2-0 | +2 | 2-0-0 | +2 | 1-1 | | PHILIPP GRUBAUER (vs. Division) | 1 | 1 | 21 | 18 | 85.7% | 0 | 1-0 | +1 | 1-0-0 | +1 | 1-0 | | PHILIPP GRUBAUER (Last 4 Games) | 2 | 2 | 46 | 41 | 89.1% | 0 | 2-0 | +2 | 2-0-0 | +2 | 1-1 | | PHILIPP GRUBAUER (Playoff Games) | 1 | 1 | 21 | 18 | 85.7% | 0 | 1-0 | +1 | 1-0-0 | +1 | 1-0 | | BRADEN HOLTBY (All Games) | 82 | 81 | 2317 | 2146 | 92.6% | 10 | 46-35 | +2.6 | 46-35-0 | +2 | 32-45 | | BRADEN HOLTBY (Home Games) | 39 | 39 | 1016 | 942 | 92.7% | 7 | 22-17 | -5.2 | 22-17-0 | -5 | 18-20 | | BRADEN HOLTBY (vs. Division) | 38 | 38 | 1115 | 1038 | 93.1% | 4 | 21-17 | +0.4 | 21-17-0 | 0 | 13-22 | | BRADEN HOLTBY (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 4 | 108 | 103 | 95.4% | 1 | 3-1 | +2.4 | 3-1-0 | +2 | 0-3 | | BRADEN HOLTBY (Playoff Games) | 9 | 9 | 273 | 259 | 94.9% | 1 | 5-4 | +1.2 | 5-4-0 | +1 | 1-7 | | JUSTIN PETERS (All Games) | 12 | 9 | 294 | 259 | 88.1% | 0 | 3-6 | -3.3 | 3-6-0 | -3 | 7-1 | | JUSTIN PETERS (Home Games) | 7 | 4 | 157 | 140 | 89.2% | 0 | 2-2 | -0.9 | 2-2-0 | -1 | 3-1 | | JUSTIN PETERS (vs. Division) | 1 | 1 | 27 | 24 | 88.9% | 0 | 1-0 | +1 | 1-0-0 | +1 | 1-0 | | JUSTIN PETERS (Last 4 Games) | 4 | 2 | 96 | 88 | 91.7% | 0 | 1-1 | +0.6 | 1-1-0 | +1 | 2-0 | | JUSTIN PETERS (Playoff Games) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0-0 |
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| | Average power rating of opponents played: NY RANGERS 3.07, WASHINGTON 3.1 |
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| 4/9/2015 | OTTAWA | 0-3 | L | 0, -105 | L | 5 ov | U | | 4/11/2015 | at WASHINGTON | 4-2 | W | 0, +135 | W | 5 ev | O | | 4/16/2015 | PITTSBURGH | 2-1 | W | 0, -185 | W | 5 ov | U | | 4/18/2015 | PITTSBURGH | 3-4 | L | 0, -180 | L | 5 ov | O | | 4/20/2015 | at PITTSBURGH | 2-1 | W | 0, -125 | W | 5 un | U | | 4/22/2015 | at PITTSBURGH | 2-1 | W | 0, -120 | W | 5 un | U | | 4/24/2015 | PITTSBURGH | 2-1 | W | 0, -180 | W | 5 un | U | | 4/30/2015 | WASHINGTON | 1-2 | L | 0, -160 | L | 5 un | U | | 5/2/2015 | WASHINGTON | 3-2 | W | 0, -180 | W | 5 un | P | | 5/4/2015 | at WASHINGTON | 0-1 | L | 0, +105 | L | 5 un | U | | 5/6/2015 | at WASHINGTON | | | 5/8/2015 | WASHINGTON | |
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| 4/11/2015 | NY RANGERS | 2-4 | L | 0, -155 | L | 5 ev | O | | 4/15/2015 | NY ISLANDERS | 1-4 | L | 0, -135 | L | 5.5 un | U | | 4/17/2015 | NY ISLANDERS | 4-3 | W | 0, -120 | W | 5.5 un | O | | 4/19/2015 | at NY ISLANDERS | 1-2 | L | 0, +120 | L | 5.5 un | U | | 4/21/2015 | at NY ISLANDERS | 2-1 | W | 0, +115 | W | 5.5 un | U | | 4/23/2015 | NY ISLANDERS | 5-1 | W | 0, -140 | W | 5 ov | O | | 4/25/2015 | at NY ISLANDERS | 1-3 | L | 0, +120 | L | 5 ov | U | | 4/27/2015 | NY ISLANDERS | 2-1 | W | 0, -145 | W | 5 ov | U | | 4/30/2015 | at NY RANGERS | 2-1 | W | 0, +140 | W | 5 un | U | | 5/2/2015 | at NY RANGERS | 2-3 | L | 0, +160 | L | 5 un | P | | 5/4/2015 | NY RANGERS | 1-0 | W | 0, -125 | W | 5 un | U | | 5/6/2015 | NY RANGERS | | | 5/8/2015 | at NY RANGERS | |
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| |  | NY RANGERS: LAST SEASON: 45-31-6, 96 points. Finished 2nd in Metropolitan Division, 5th in Eastern Conference. Lost to Los Angeles Kings in Stanley Cup finals.
COACH: Alain Vigneault, 2nd season with Rangers (45-31-6); 13th overall in NHL (467-319-102).
ADDED: D Dan Boyle, D Mike Kostka, D Matt Hunwick, C Chris Mueller, LW Tanner Glass, G Cedrick Desjardins, C Matthew Lombardi, RW Lee Stempniak, LW Ryan Malone.
LOST: C Brad Richards, RW Derek Dorsett, C Brian Boyle, D Anton Stralman, LW Benoit Pouliot, D Justin Falk, RW Arron Asham, LW Daniel Carcillo, D Raphael Diaz, C Darroll Powe.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Rick Nash. The top forward will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing postseason in which the 2002 No. 1 draft notched only three goals and 10 points in 25 games and heard boos from the crowd. The 30-year-old left wing has come to training camp looking thinner and fitter as he heads into his third season with the Rangers. Nash has four seasons left for big money on his current contract, so there is plenty of time for him to win over the Madison Square Garden faithful.
OUTLOOK: The Rangers will go as far as goalie Henrik Lundqvist, ''The King,'' will take them. The team has undergone major changes since the run to the finals, but with the strong core of returning veterans such as Nash, Martin St. Louis, and defensemen Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh, fortified by newcomers Dan Boyle, Lee Stempniak and Ryan Malone, New York could again be a tough out in the playoffs. A new captain is expected to be announced at the start of the season to replace the trio of alternate captains that took leadership roles after former captain Ryan Callahan was traded to Tampa Bay late last season for St. Louis. | | WASHINGTON: LAST SEASON: 38-30-14, 90 points. Missed the playoffs by finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference.
COACH: Barry Trotz, 1st season with Capitals; 16th overall in NHL, 557-479-60-100.
ADDED: Trotz, GM Brian MacLellan, D Brooks Orpik, D Matt Niskanen, G Justin Peters.
LOST: Coach Adam Oates, GM George McPhee, C Mikhail Grabovski, LW Dustin Penner, G Jaroslav Halak.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Alex Ovechkin, as always. The three-time league MVP led the NHL with 51 goals last season, but his plus-minus of minus-35 was third-worst in the league. Trotz plans to move Ovechkin back to left wing and also hopes to cajole more of a team game from the Russian forward.
OUTLOOK: It was deflating enough for the talented Capitals to lose in the early rounds of the playoffs every year, but last season they didn't make the postseason at all, a failure that cost Oates and McPhee their jobs. Orpik and Niskanen should stabilize the blue line, but nothing is more crucial in Washington than the relationship between Ovechkin and the coach du jour. Trotz is Ovechkin's first NHL head coach with prior head coaching experience elsewhere in the league, giving him the cachet to make demands of his players - and to expect them to be met. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW (NY RANGERS-WASHINGTON) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Rangers-Capitals Preview* ==========================
By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer
Ny Rangers At Washington, Game Three, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Even in defeat, Alexander Ovechkin produced the goal of the weekend, squeezing through two opposing players and falling to his stomach while whipping a wrist shot past New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist.
"They took as much space as they wanted. He still got it done," Washington coach Barry Trotz said. "Great players will do that."
Ovechkin and the Capitals lost 3-2 to the Rangers on Saturday, but with this second-round series tied 1-1 heading into Monday night's game in Washington, Ovechkin is looking dangerous. He has four goals and four assists in these playoffs - a welcome sight for the Capitals after their star's postseason production had dipped a bit in his previous couple appearances.
"I think he gets an inch to shoot the puck and he can hurt you," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. "He doesn't need a lot of room to get a shot off or a lot of time to get it off, and he's very dangerous when he does. There's nothing secretive about it. I think he can hurt you from a lot of different areas, so we've got to do our best to try and contain him."
Washington hasn't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since well before Ovechkin joined the team - a fact that's put the game's top goal scorer under constant scrutiny at this time of year. But it's not like he's been unproductive in the postseason.
From 2008-2010, Ovechkin had 20 goals and 20 assists in 28 playoff games. After that, his output declined - and in 2013, he had only two points in a seven-game loss to the Rangers in the first round.
But those struggles may simply be a byproduct of a league-wide decrease in playoff scoring. Heading into Sunday's games, the average team was scoring 2.49 goals per game during this postseason - down from 2.99 in 2010.
It may just be easier now to contain the game's biggest stars in the playoffs, be it because of good defensive schemes - or improved shot blocking in recent years by both goalies and regular skaters.
Even Sidney Crosby - with a Stanley Cup and two Olympic gold medals to his credit - has had a rougher go of it lately. From 2007-2010, he had 82 points in 62 playoff games. Since then, 36 points in 38 games.
Ovechkin isn't the only big-name forward who is criticized when goals become scarce. Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos went without a goal through his first eight games this postseason before ending that drought Sunday at Montreal. Rick Nash of the Rangers has five points in seven games - about the same ratio he's produced over his whole career - but because only one of those points was a goal, he can expect more questions about his performance if he doesn't start putting the puck in the net more often.
Goals are hard to come by in the playoffs these days, but if you're as talented as Ovechkin - or Stamkos or Nash - opposing teams will always be wary of having to face you.
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GOALTENDING SHOW
Lundqvist's save percentage in this postseason is .938, and Washington's Braden Holtby is at .942. To put that in perspective, the best postseason save percentage of Patrick Roy's career was .934 in 2001.
"The goalies in this league are so good now," Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle said. "Any time they see it, they're going to save it. So any time you get opportunities, you have to have bodies in front of the net and use guys as screens because it's so tough to beat goalies if they can see the puck."
HOME OR AWAY
Neither of these teams is likely to be all that intimidated when the scenery shifts in this series. The Capitals were 23-13-5 at home during the regular season and 22-13-6 on the road. The Rangers were 25-11-5 at home and 28-11-2 on the road.
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| | Last Updated: 4/26/2024 8:06:53 PM EST. |
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