Capitals' Alex Ovechkin guarantees Game 7 win vs. Rangers
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has guaranteed that his team will win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals after Sunday’s 4–3 loss at home to New York Rangers.
Game 7 is on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA) and will mark the third Game 7 between these two teams in the past four seasons.
“We’re going to come back and win the series,” Ovechkin said after the game. “We’re going to play our game, and we’re going to come back and we're going to play Montreal or Tampa.”
Ovechkin, a finalist for the Hart Trophy, has scored only two goals in the series and has not registered a point in his past four games against New York.
Ovechkin said he liked the way his team rallied from a 4–1 deficit in Game 6 before falling short at the end.
Mother Russia: Alex Ovechkin's mom made sure he got what he deserved
“We almost tie the game and the character of this group, it shows a lot,” Ovechkin said. “We’re going to come back and win the series.”
• MUIR: Rangers fend off Capitals' late comeback attempt to force Game 7
During Ovechkin’s 10-year career, he has never been to the conference finals. The Capitals have not reached the Eastern finals since 1998.
New York will try to overcome a 3-1 series deficit for the second postseason in a row and become the first team ever to do in consecutive years. Last season, the Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference semifinals on their way to the Stanley Cup finals.
- Scooby Axson