Eastern Conference: (2) Washington vs. (7) Rangers

**angus** · April 12, 2009, 2:08 PM

I\'ll start a topic for each series.

Just a way to discuss each game, highlights, hits, fights, goals, and so on. And for the next few days some pre-series smack!

**The Comish** · April 12, 2009, 2:43 PM

Hmm, this one is tougher for me to predict because I\'m such a Lundqvist fan. Will Avery be able to distract Ovechkin from playing his game? Remember Avery goading Kovalchuk into fighting him last year?

Ultimately, the Cap have to win this, but Theodore will have to be steady. If he isn\'t then there is a window of opportunity for the Rangers to, ahem, capitalize.

**Dean Youngblood** · April 12, 2009, 3:12 PM

I think this series has the most potential for the underdog to win. Not much attention has been paid to the NYR recently. They snuck into the playoffs and play a relatively defensive game with a great goaltender. Theodore will have to play solidly to win this series. I am going to predict an upset and take New York in 7

**shallowfrozenwater** · April 12, 2009, 3:20 PM

i think this will be the Caps in a walk, i\'m taking them in 5 maybe 6 if Theodore gets lost for a bit.

**VintageVibe** · April 12, 2009, 3:25 PM

Caps in 7.

**metaldude26** · April 12, 2009, 4:19 PM

I just want to see what Avery tries to do to Ovechkin, followed by Ovechkin creaming with one of the biggest hits of the year and then scoring a hattrick. I\'m also interested to see who\'s nut Green busts this year, though I have a strange feeling it will be mine from watching his stellar play.

All jokes aside, this series is probably going to be a lot closer than most think. Rangers are playing some good hockey under Torts, and Theodore is a sieve. I also think Lundqvist has series stealing stuff.

**doulos** · April 12, 2009, 4:51 PM

I see the Rangers as being lucky to win one game. Caps in 5.

**Yonald** · April 12, 2009, 6:24 PM

ya Wash is a solid team with tons of offensive weapons. They will take the series but in 6.

**andrewklassen** · April 12, 2009, 8:59 PM

doulos wrote:

I see the Rangers as being lucky to win one game. Caps in 5.

As an owner of AO and Backstrom heading into a playoff pool I certainly hope you\'re right, but if I had to call it right now I see the RANGERS upsetting WAS in 6.

WAS gives up too many shots each game [so do the RANGERS]. I feel G decides this series and I like Lundqvist WAY better.

My heart says WAS in 6 [I hate the RANGERS],
My head says NYR in 6 [Theodore has more holes than Swiss cheese].

**BDog** · April 12, 2009, 11:00 PM

Rangers are a train wreck in waiting. Caps in 4

**Powerslave** · April 13, 2009, 1:27 AM

Caps in 5

**Flyer Fan** · April 13, 2009, 1:30 AM

The Rangers have the better goaltender.
The Capitals have Ovechkin.

Green\'s a phenomenal player, ...but giving Torts a chance to gameplan for him for a seven game series will help slow him down.

The Caps still have Semin, but the Rangers are no slouches upfront either, ...Naslund, Gomez, Drury, Zherdev etc...

Mark Staal came into the league tabbed as a future \"shutdown\" defenseman... This is a great opportunity to step into that role...

If he can just contain Ovy, if Torts can find a strategy for containing Green, ...and that\'s all they need to do, ...is keep them semi under control,

...with Lundquist behind them, and a few big goals from Drury and the other vets, ...Rangers in 6

**ridinryan44** · April 13, 2009, 2:01 AM

I gotta take the NY side here. Washington has the potential to be a much better team the NY does...but Washington is so front loaded that they take a hit playing anyone other than their franchise players. Their goaltending sucks... Theodore is no better than Biron IMO and their defense doesn\'t have a single shutdown guy that could compare to any other team. They have the offense that could carry them through any team... but I think they\'re going to be forced to play such a defensive game that doesn\'t suit their style, it\'s going hurt them a lot and be the reason they\'re ousted in the first round. It\'s gonna take 7 games but NY is gonna pull this one out.

**lanky** · April 13, 2009, 11:17 AM

interesting to see the difference in the answers... this one seems to be difficult to get a consensus on.

I think the caps will win out in 5-6 games.

Flyer Fan wrote:

The Rangers have the better goaltender.
The Capitals have Ovechkin.

Green\'s a phenomenal player, ...but giving Torts a chance to gameplan for him for a seven game series will help slow him down.

The Caps still have Semin, but the Rangers are no slouches upfront either, ...Naslund, Gomez, Drury, Zherdev etc...

Mark Staal came into the league tabbed as a future \"shutdown\" defenseman... This is a great opportunity to step into that role...

If he can just contain Ovy, if Torts can find a strategy for containing Green, ...and that\'s all they need to do, ...is keep them semi under control,

...with Lundquist behind them, and a few big goals from Drury and the other vets, ...Rangers in 6

I have to disagree with most of this... Coaches have had all year to develop gameplans for Green, and it hasn\'t worked yet. Torts won\'t be able to develop any gameplan for green that will work the length of their series. Green is just too dynamic of a player. Plus... if you key in on him, then you leave ovechkin more room. Or semin... or leave backstrom more room to make a nice pass. There\'s really no clear cut (focus on this guy) strategy that Tort can draw up.

That\'s what\'s made the caps so difficult to play against this year, because if you key in on 1 or 2 or even 4 of their guys, they\'ll just beat you some other way.

Comparing Ovechkin/Semin/Backstrom/Laich to Naslund/Drury/Gomez/Zherdev is just comical to me. I can\'t believe you went there.

I\'m also not sure how you can claim Drury as mr. clutch. He has 2 gamewinning goals this year...

Consider the following: Washington\'s top 5 goal scorers have as many goals this year as NYR top 12 (166 goals). Brooks laich is washingtons 4th best goal scorer, and he\'s only got 1 less goal than NYR BEST.

Alexander ovechkin - 56
Alexander Semin - 34
Mike Green - 31
Brooks Laich - 23
Nicklas Backstrom - 22

Markus Naslund - 24
Nikolai Zherdev - 23
Chris Drury - 22
Ryan Callahan - 22
Scott Gomez - 16
Brandon Dubinsky - 13
Nigel Dawes - 10
Michal Rozsival - 8
Aaron Voros - 8
Nik Antropov - 7
Fredrik Sjostrom - 7
Lauri Korpikoski - 6

Add to that the fact that Washington dominates in the faceoff circle (7th in the league/2nd in the east/1st among eastern playoff teams) and dominates games at home (tied for 1st in home ice wins in the the east, and tied for 2nd in home ice wins in the league).

I think the Rangers are sledding uphill in this first series... outside of something amazing happening, i really don\'t think they\'ll win more than a game. Even if something amazing happens, i doubt they\'ll win more than 2... much less the series.

As shaky as you all think Theodore may be, Varlamov has been tremendous this year, and has experience as the starting goaltender in the playoffs in the Super League in Russia. I\'m not as concerned about the caps goaltending as many seem to be.

Also, coming off a bad loss to Florida in their final game, the caps will be balls to the wall at the start of this series.

**playmaker26** · April 13, 2009, 12:34 PM

doulos wrote:

I see the Rangers as being lucky to win one game. Caps in 5.

Lundqvist will steal atleast one game.

I thought this was going to be a bad matchup for the Rangers but after looking at it more in-depth, they have a legit shot.

My prediction is Washington in 6.

I think the series comes down to Washington\'s dangerous PP vs. New York\'s top ranked PK. The Rangers penalty kill sure looked sharp against the Flyers yesterday.

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