Playoff preview: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
No. 1 New York Rangers
vs. No. 2 Washington Capitals
How they got here: Rangers downed the Penguins in five games, while the Capitals defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in Game 7.
Goaltenders: New York's Henrik Lundqvist (4-1, 1.53 goals-against average, .939 save percentage) vs. Washington's Braden Holtby (3-3, 1.63, .943). Give Lundqvist the advantage on both reputation and the fact that he took the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final last June. But Holtby has been sharp in the postseason.
Key matchup: Rangers Ds Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh vs. Washington LW Alex Ovechkin. To beat the Rangers, the Capitals need big production from Ovechkin. He had 28 shots on goal against the Islanders in the first round.
Season series: 3-1 Rangers
Why the Rangers should win: 1. The Rangers looked tight defensively in the first round, giving up an average of 26 shots and 1.6 goals per game. 2. Even with Mats Zuccarello out, the Rangers seem to have enough scoring up and down their lineup. 3. They know what it takes to win three rounds; they're playoff tested. They have played 62 playoff games since 2012.
Why the Capitals could win: 1. The Capitals might be a more confident group than they've been in years. Coach Barry Trotz has shown them how to remain poised in tight games. They were perfect as penalty killers in the first round. They believe they are capable of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. 2. Their defensive play is vastly improved. They added Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik in the offseason, and Tim Gleason during the season. With Holtby playing well, the Caps believe they can win if they score two goals. 3. Evgeny Kuznetsov seemed to take a significant step in his development in the first round. That's important because the Caps need another difference-maker up front.
Injuries: New York, F Mats Zuccarello is day-to-day with a head injury. D Kevin Klein returns to the lineup, likely to replace Matt Hunwick; Washington, F Eric Fehr (upper body) missed the end of the first-round series.
Prediction: This Rangers team is superior to the one that lost to the Los Angeles Kings last season in the Final. Take the Rangers to win in seven games.
PHOTOS: First round of the Stanley Cup playoffs