The first two games of the playoffs have been nothing short of disappointing for the Washington Capitals. With only four goals and 46 shots on goal in two games, the Capitals have not been performing at the level they need to be to win out over the New York Rangers. Notably, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has had just one shot on goal against Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Coach Spencer Carbery noted that he “thought the first two games he looks a little bit off, he’s struggling,” adding, “It’s hard. It’s the playoffs, on the road, he’s getting a tough matchup.” He also turned over the puck in a critical moment for the team, leading to K’Andre Miller’s shorthanded game-winning goal in game two. Coach Carbery is hopeful that having a home-ice advantage and being able to control the matchup will be a difference-maker for the team and lead to a victory in round one.
Not everything is tragic for the team, though. In game one, Martin Fehervary scored his first career playoff goal on a feed from Tom Wilson. Aliaksei Protas also registered his first playoff point on the goal. After game two, they were up by 8 in shot attempts, 10 in scoring chances, and 3 in high-danger chances. Lucas Johansen appeared in his first career playoff game and was beneficial to the team in his 11:55 on the ice. With him on the ice at even strength, the Capitals yielded positive differentials in shot attempts (+12), scoring chances (+1), and high-danger chances (+1). Upcoming superstar Connor McMichael recorded his first career playoff goal and registered ten shot attempts.
Luckily, the Capitals won both games at home against the Rangers in the regular season, and they’ll have two days before the next game to recover and prepare to take on New York once again. This two-game deficit isn’t anything new for the team. In fact, in the 2018 playoff run, the Capitals lost their first two games of round one against the Columbus Blue Jackets, yet still came back to dominate the remainder of playoffs. They lost the first game in three of the four series they played during the 2018 postseason. The Rangers won both games one and two of their first-round series against the New Jersey Devils last season by a combined 10-2 score, then went on to lose four of five to be quickly eliminated.
Washington has two days to rest up and prepare to face the Rangers once again on Friday. Vincent Iorio, Rasmus Sandin, and Nick Jensen are all listed as day-to-day, so hopefully, they will join the lineup again at Capital One Arena. The Capitals have clearly been struggling with defense, so the return of these three reliable defensemen will likely be a huge asset to the team. The Rangers have registered 59 shots on goal and 8 goals in two games. While goaltender Charlie Lindgren is consistent and dangerous, he is, still, only human and needs a greater amount of help at the blue line.
The Rangers will be visiting the Capitals at Capital One Arena on Friday the 26th at 7 EST. The game will be broadcast on TNT, TruTV, and Max.
ITR 41: Stanley Cup Final – The Rematch – Inside The Rink
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