Capitals vs. Rangers Game 7: seven key things to watch for

Alex Ovechkin’s guarantee among seven things to watch for in Capitals vs. Rangers Game 7.

Author:
Allan Muir
Publish date:
May 13, 2015

Well, this should be fun.

The New York Rangers, fitted for toe tags after losing Game 4 in Washington, fought back from another 3-1 series deficit to force tonight’s decisive Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

It’s a scenario that plays heavily in their favor. The Rangers are 9-0 in elimination games at MSG since 2008, and have five wins to show for their past five Game 7s.

Meanwhile, the Capitals have made an art of losing when it matters most. Washington has dropped 11 of its past 14 series-clinching games. If the Caps are going to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998 (the year of their lone appearance in the Stanley Cup finals) they need to put their checkered history behind them and play with the fearlessness that colored their wins in Games 1, 3 and 4.

Here are seven things to watch for in tonight's winner-take-all Game 7.

1. THE GUARANTEE

Alex Ovechkin knows this is his moment. All the work he’s done this season to improve his all-around game, to strengthen his commitment to the team concept—it’ll all be overlooked if the Caps blow yet another 3-1 series lead.

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So he made a vow in the wake of his team’s Game 6 loss: “We’re going to come back and win the series.”

Beautiful. That right there is exactly what a team wants from its captain. And by putting it out there so boldly, Ovechkin takes the pressure away from his teammates and puts it squarely on his own broad shoulders.

Now he just has to deliver. After boasting that he’d be in Henrik Lundqvist’s grill “all series, baby” back in Game 1, he’s been anywhere but. Ovechkin has been shut out in each of the past four games, and while he’s found ways to contribute away from the puck he knows it’s not an either/or situation. For the Caps to move own, he has to deliver the goals to go along with the grit. But he also has to be careful not to try to do too much himself. And he has to persevere if Washington falls behind. If there’s one stain on his remarkable legacy it’s that he has disappeared in so many must-win games, particularly in international play.

This is his moment now. He’s claimed it. Let’s see what he does with it.

2. CHRIS KREIDER IS THE DEVIL

At least, that’s the way he has to appear to the Caps. The bruising forward almost took them on single-handedly in Game 6, scoring in both the first and last minute of the opening frame to crush Washington’s spirit and then literally crushing them with a series of bone-jarring hits. Not all of them were textbook, either—that shot he gave Andrei Burakovsky bordered on cheap—but at this time of year that’s exactly what you want from someone on your team. That ability to inspire a little fear, and maybe leave a few bodies in your wake, can provide the edge that propels the Rangers into the next round. The fact that the guy laying those hits also happens to have the will to go to the net and the soft hands to make something happen once he gets there makes him the player to watch in blue.

3. WHAT ABOUT NICK?

While Ovechkin is suffering all the slings and arrows, his running buddy has pretty much been given a pass for his own continuing struggles. Nicklas Backstrom has contributed just one point in the series, an assist all the way back in Game 1 when he created the turnover that led to Joel Ward’s last-second game-winner. In fact, that’s his only point in his past nine contests. And in his last four games, he has just three shots on net, with goose eggs in Games 3 and 4 in Washington. Not exactly a step-up performance.

And it’s not just the Capitals offense that’s gone dry. Backstrom’s always been a solid defender, but even that element of his game has fallen off. That was evident again in Game 6 when he allowed Rick Nash to slip away from him just moments before the Rangers winger scored to make it 3–1 New York early in the third period.

Is Backstrom hurt? Or do the Rangers simply have him tied up in knots? Either way, his performance will go a long way toward determining the outcome of this one.

4. LOCK-IT-DOWN LUNDQVIST

It’s no wonder the Rangers are quietly confident heading into this contest. They’ve already beaten the Caps in Game 7 twice in the past four seasons (2012, 2013). And they have the ultimate weapon between the pipes. Lundqvist has taken his play to another level in his past five Game 7 appearances, going 5-0 with a 0.80 goals-against average and a .973 save percentage. Of course, past history is no indication of future performance as they say in mutual fund ads, but better to go in with someone who’s shown that he can rise to the occasion.

5. WASHINGTON’S SPUTTERING POWER PLAY

Funny how these things work. All season long, the Caps feasted on the power play. In fact, no team connected more frequently with the extra man. They scored off the rush. They scored when they got set up in the zone. It wasn’t a matter of “if” but “how often.”

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Things have changed though in the playoffs. Washington has connected a total of only three times in 25 opportunities, and not at all since Ovechkin’s Game 1 laser.

In fact, the Capitals likely wouldn’t be in this spot if they were operating even close to their regular-season efficiency. Washington was given four chances with the extra man in Game 6 on Sunday, including a crucial opportunity on James Sheppard’s delay of game call with just over two minutes remaining, and were stymied each time.

The key to their failure is familiarity. There are no secrets. Both the Islanders and Rangers had seen plenty of the Caps during the regular season and knew what Washington wanted to do ... and how to defend against it. Mostly, that’s meant taking away the passing lanes that lead to Ovechkin’s one timers.

Meanwhile, Washington has done nothing to change its approach to combat its predictability. Will that change tonight? Maybe changing up the unit by dropping Marcus Johansson and adding Evgeny Kuznetsov, a player who is willing to both pass and shoot. Similarly, Backstrom has to be looking for shot opportunities. Because he’s almost no threat to shoot, it makes it easier for the Rangers to cheat away from him and focus on the pass. If he can make that change, the Caps might finally break through.

6. THE OTHER CAPTAIN

Ryan McDonagh’s had his highs and lows this series. He scored the OT winner to clinch Game 5 and he left Game 6 after being crushed by Ovechkin. He ended up returning late in the contest, blocking a Backstrom shot in the closing moments before clearing the puck to seal the victory, but there’s no telling what lingering effects he was dealing with. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault says his captain “will be OK” for tonight”s game, but McDonagh bears watching. He will be targeted again, as he has been throughout the series. His ability to fight through the contact and make good puck decisions, particularly in his own end, will be key to New York’s chances to advance.

7. WASHINGTON'S NEW LOOK SECOND LINE

Andre Burakovsky, Evgeny Kuznetsov giving Capitals reasons to smile

The newly reconfigured unit of Ward alongside Jason Chimera and Kuznetsov clicked immediately in Game 6, leveraging their combination of skill and brute force to produce all three of Washington’s goals. Kuznetsov, who is showing signs of becoming the second-line center they dreamed he would be, has had the magic mitts throughout the series. No Capital has looked more comfortable or competent with the biscuit on his stick. And that’s pretty much where it was throughout the game. According to waronice.com, the trio absolutely dominated possession at five-on-five, outchancing the Rangers by an obscene margin.

If the top line stumbles, this game could be up to them.

• GALLERY: The NHL's greatest Game 7s

The NHL's Great Game 7s

2013 Eastern Conference quarterfinals

Playing in their first playoff series in nine years, the Maple Leafs looked like they had things sewn up with a 4-1 lead and 14 minutes remaining in the third period. That's when Boston found the magic. The Bruins scored three straight to close the third, with Patrice Bergeron hitting the tying goal as well as the winner six minutes into a tense overtime period. For the Maple Leafs, who came back from 3-1 down in the series to force a Game 7, it was perhaps the cruelest end to a playoff run that had the city of Toronto on its collective toes.

2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals

The Devils wasted a 2-0 lead in the third period, then recovered as Adam Henrique scored his second goal of the game at 3:47 of the second overtime. Henrique picked up a loose puck in the right circle, skated toward the slot and beat Jose Theodore with a low shot. The Devils mobbed Henrique, as Theodore knelt on the ice in disbelief. Martin Brodeur made 43 saves for the Devils in a game that ended on April 27 -- the 20th anniversary of Brodeur's first playoff appearance for New Jersey.

2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals

It was fitting that perhaps the closest playoff series in NHL history -- all seven games were decided by one goal -- ended in overtime. Matt Hendricks and Joel Ward, two forwards who combined for all of 10 goals in 151 regular-season games, were all the offense Washington needed as rookie goalie Braden Holtby came through in a thrilling 2-1 win at TD Garden that ended Boston's defense of the Stanley Cup. The winning goal came after Mike Knuble blocked Benoit Pouliot's dump-in to Washington's zone. Knuble raced down the ice, shot, and bumped into goaltender Tim Thomas as the rebound came out to Ward, who backhanded the puck into the net. It was a remarkable outcome given that few people thought the Capitals had much of a chance after their up-and-down season that saw coach Bruce Boudreau replaced by Dale Hunter in November.

2011 Eastern Conference finals

Eventual Conn Smythe Trophy-winner (as playoff MVP) Tim Thomas stopped all 24 shots he faced, Nathan Horton scored with 7:33 left in regulation, and the Bruins hung on to beat the upstart Lightning 1-0 and reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1990.

2011 Western Conference semifinals

For all the blame Patrick Marleau has shouldered for San Jose's postseason failures, it was only fitting that his winning goal helped the Sharks avoid one of their biggest collapses. Marleau got his first point of the series when he knocked home a rebound with 7:47 to play and then made the key defensive play in the closing seconds of an amazing Game 7 -- the sixth one-goal outcome in their series. San Jose advanced to its third conference final in franchise history; but of similar importance avoided becoming the fourth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead in the playoffs.

2011 Eastern Conference quarterfinals

Nathan Horton scored 5:43 into overtime with a slap shot off a pass from Milan Lucic, setting off a celebration on the Bruins' bench and in the stands. It was Boston's third OT win in the series, including Game 5 when Horton scored 9:03 into the second extra period. The Canadiens won the first two games in Boston to swipe home-ice advantage, but the Bruins came back to win three straight -- including the first two in Montreal, and then Game 5 at home.

2011 Western Conference quarterfinals

After being eliminated the previous two years by Chicago, Vancouver finally returned the favor. Alex Burrows scored his second goal 5:22 into overtime, Roberto Luongo made 31 saves, and the Canucks avoided an historic playoff collapse by knocking the defending Stanley Cup champions out in the first round. Burrows, who took a penalty early in OT, pounced on a Chris Campoli turnover and fired a slapper over the right shoulder of rookie goalie Corey Crawford. Burrows had opened the scoring 2:43 in, but Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews scored his first goal of the playoffs shorthanded with 1:56 left, forcing OT. Vancouver had won the first three games before the Hawks roared back with three straight victories, threatening to spoil the Canucks' Presidents Trophy-winning season by becoming just the fourth team in NHL history to erase an 0-3 series deficit.

2010 Eastern Conference semifinals

Down 3-0 in games, Philadelphia rallied to tie the series. Down 3-0 in Game 7, Philadelphia rallied again and Simon Gagne's power-play goal in the third period lifted the Flyers to an improbable 4-3 win over the Bruins. It was a humiliating defeat for Boston, which became the third team in NHL history to flush a series after winning the first three games. The Flyers thus joined the exclusive ranks of the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who beat Detroit, and the 1975 New York Islanders, who eliminated Pittsburgh, by climbing out of an 0-3 coffin. The other 159 teams that had won the first three games of a series had prevailed.

2009 Eastern Conference semifinals

Up 3-2 on home ice with the great Martin Brodeur in net and less than two minutes left to play, the Devils were sitting pretty, or so it seemed. Then Jussi Jokinen (left) scored for the Hurricanes with 1:20 to go and Eric Staal (right) shocked New Jersey by beating Brodeur with 32 ticks to spare on the clock. "This is as sweet as it comes," said Carolina goaltender Cam Ward, who made 32 saves. "That's why you never give up and play until the final buzzer."

2007 Western Conference semifinals

The series was a war, with the Stars climbing out of a three-games-to-one hole. Three of the seven games were settled in an extra session -- including a four-OT thriller in Game 1, won by the Canucks, 5-4, with goalie Roberto Luongo (inset) making 72 saves in his postseason debut. Vancouver advanced on home ice as its longtime hero Trevor Linden, a veteran of eight career Game 7s, broke a 1-1 tie by tipping a Mattias Ohlund shot past Stars goalie Marty Turco seven minutes into the third period. Bryan Smolinski and Taylor Pyatt later added empty-netters.

2006 Stanley Cup Final

Carolina's RBC Center was rocking as Cam Ward earned the Conn Smythe Trophy with a 22-save performance that held off the underdog Oilers' furious comeback from a three-games-to-one deficit. Aaron Ward, Frantisek Kaberle (power play) and Justin Williams (empty net) scored and Ward did the rest while becoming the first rookie goalie since Patrick Roy in 1986 to backstop his team to the Stanley Cup.

2006 Eastern Conference final

Hurricanes captain Rod Brind'Amour was the hero, pouncing on a rebound and beating Buffalo's Ryan Miller to snap a 2-2 tie at 11:22 of the third period. Brind'Amour also assisted on Justin Williams' tally in the final minute to seal the win before a delirious home crowd. Rookie goaltender Cam Ward continued to make his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP by making 22 saves.

2004 Eastern Conference final

Clinging to a one-goal lead, Nikolai Khabibulin stopped Keith Primeau on a second-period breakaway and the Lightning hung on to win their first Game 7 and advance to their first Stanley Cup Final. Former Flyer Ruslan Fedotenko scored a deflected power-play goal at 16:46 of the first period and Frederik Modin netted the winner at 4:57 of the second.

2004 Western Conference quarterfinals

After blowing a 4-0 lead, the Canucks got a goal from Brendan Morrison in triple OT of Game 6 and returned home for their decisive match. It was a hair-raising see-saw. Down 2-1 in the final minute and on a power play with their goalie pulled, the Canucks took a cross-checking penalty and then watched as Calgary's Jarome Iginla, who had scored twice, narrowly missed an empty net. Incredibly, Matt Cooke jammed home the tying goal off the rebound of a shot by Markus Naslund with only 5.7 seconds left. But the crowd went home unhappy when Calgary's Martin Gelinas scored 1:25 into OT.

2004 Eastern Conference quarterfinals

The Canadiens came all the way back from a three-games-to-one deficit for the first time in their storied history, winning a defensive battle in Boston. The Northeast Division champion Bruins held the underdog Habs to one shot in the third period -- until Richard Zednik broke the scoreless tie with 9:08 left by knocking home the rebound of Alex Kovalev's shot. Zednik also scored into an empty net.

2004 Stanley Cup Final

The Lightning held the Flames to a measly seven shots in the first two periods, but had to withstand a wild final stanza to make Ruslan Fedotenko's two goals stand up. Bolts goalie Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 16 shots in the third period, including a dazzler on Jordan Leopold with the net wide open. The Flames got a power play tally from Craig Conroy midway through the third, but that was it. "We just tried to get through it, and we found a way," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "It's unbelievable. It's a great feeling."

2003 Eastern Conference final

After the Devils blew a three-games-to-one lead on the Presidents' Trophy-winners, winger Jeff Friesen had to redeem himself for a third-period turnover that allowed the Senators to tie the game at 2-2 in front of a roaring crowd in Ottawa. With 2:14 to play in regulation, Friesen scored the biggest goal of his career, beating goalie Patrick Lalime. "I couldn't even react, I couldn't even describe what that was like," Friesen said. "It just happened to work out that I got a chance to get that big goal."

2002 Western Conference semifinals

Patrick Roy was masterful in stopping 27 shots while the Avs nursed Peter Forsberg's second-period goal, especially during San Jose's two-man advantage in the final 55 seconds. Roy extended his NHL record with his 22nd career playoff shutout. "I said before Game 6, if there is one player I'm not worried about for Game 7, it's Patrick," said Colorado coach Bob Hartley. "He's our energy, he's the reason that every game we feel that we have a chance to win. He came up large tonight."

2001 Eastern Conference semifinals

Mario Lemieux's goal with 1 minute, 18 seconds left in Game 6 forced a decisive showdown against Dominik Hasek and the Sabres in Buffalo. "It's the most exciting thing in hockey," Hasek said. "We only have to win the game." Alas, Penguins blueliner Darius Kasparaitis prevented that by beating Hasek in OT for his first career playoff goal.

2000 Eastern Conference finals

After falling behind in the series, 3-1, the Devils slammed the door on the Flyers. Martin Brodeur was brilliant as the Devils won both Game 6 and Game 7 by 2-1 scores. Game 7 was played in Philadelphia and Flyers fans will never forget the sight of Devils defenseman Scott Stevens drilling Eric Lindros (inset) as the Flyers captain crossed the blue line with his head down early in the first period. Patrik Elias scored the decisive goal for the Devils in the third period.

1997 Western Conference Conference quarterfinals

The Oilers pulled off a huge upset when, after a dazzling save by goalie Curtis Joseph, Doug Weight found winger Todd Marchant with a pass. Stars defenseman Grant Ledyard fell and Marchant went on on a breakaway, beating Andy Moog with a high shot at 12:26 of the third extra session. "It was one of those games where you knew something weird was going to happen. Toddy scoring would likely be it," Oilers coach Ron Low told the Edmonton Journal. "He'd only had about 500 breakaways that year and scored on one percent of them."

1996 Western Conference semifinals

Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman (inset) ended an epic goaltending duel by grabbing a puck off Wayne Gretzky's stick, taking off and beating Jon Casey with a slap shot from the blue line at 1:15 of double overtime. "I couldn't believe it went in," Yzerman said after the game. "I don't score a whole lot of goals from out there. To score a goal in overtime, particularly in Game 7, is a tremendous thrill. Every player dreams of that."

1994 Stanley Cup Final

New York's 54-year quest to recapture Lord Stanley's old silver mug came to an electrifying conclusion in the deafening confines of Madison Square Garden. The Rangers saw their leads of 2-0 and 3-1 trimmed and had to hang on through a tight third period that ended when the Canucks couldn't convert off a face-off in New York's end in the final ticks.

1994 Eastern Conference finals

Mark Messier's famous guarantee of a Rangers victory in Game 6 set up this nail-biting defensive battle. New York led 1-0 until the Devils tied the game with only 7.7 seconds left in regulation at Madison Square Garden. The winner was scored on Devils goalie Martin Brodeur by Stephane Matteau (32) at 4:21 of the second extra session -- his second double-OT goal of the series. Rangers fans will never forget broadcaster Howie Rose's cries of "Matteau! Matteau!"

1993 Patrick Division final

The scrappy Isles dethroned the two-time defending Cup champion Penguins of Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux as goaltender Glenn Healy (42 saves) weathered a first-period storm and hung tough after New York blew a 3-1 lead late in the third period. In OT, little-used winger David Volek was the unlikely hero, beating goalie Tom Barasso for his second tally of the game. Volek had scored only eight during the regular season.

1987 Patrick Division semifinals

Known as the Easter Epic, the Isles and Caps battled in Washington through 69 minutes of extra play after New York's Bryan Trottier tied the game 2-2 with 5:22 left in regulation. At 1:57 a.m. -- nearly seven hours after the opening face-off -- Pat LaFontaine beat Caps goalie Bob Mason with the game-winner. Some players lost up to 15 pounds during the game and were reduced to taking 20-second mini-shifts. Isles goalie Kelly Hrudey made a whopping 73 saves.

1986 Smythe Division finals

Steve Smith (5) probably still lies awake thinking about this one. The Oilers' bid for a third straight Stanley Cup was derailed when the young defenseman attempted a cross-ice pass from next to his own net early in the third period with the score tied 2-2. The puck hit Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr's leg and wound up in the net, giving Calgary the lead. Smith fell to the ice and buried his face in his gloves.

1979 Wales Conference final

Don Cherry probably still lies awake thinking about this one. His Bruins had a 4-3 lead against the three-time defending Stanley Cup champions with four minutes left, but got caught with too many on the ice. Guy Lafleur's subsequent power-play goal tied the game with 74 seconds to go. Yvon Lambert delivered the crushing blow with a goal at 9:33 of OT (inset).

1971 Stanley Cup Final

Montreal's rookie goalie Ken Dryden began cementing his legend by holding off the Blackhawks in Chicago long enough for his team to rally from a 2-0 hole late in the second period. Henri Richard scored the tying and decisive goals against Chicago's Hall of Fame netminder Tony Esposito (inset).

1954 Stanley Cup Final

Diminutive winger Tony "Mighty Mouse" Leswick (inset) ended a defensive struggle with a goal at 4:29 of OT to give Detroit the Cup. Goalies Terry Sawchuk (Detroit) and Gerry McNeil (Montreal) seemed locked in until Leswick floated a shot that glanced off Canadiens defenseman Doug Harvey's glove and into the net. The match remains the last Game 7 to decide the championship in OT.

1950 Stanley Cup Final

The Red Wings were without Gordie Howe, who was sidelined by a fractured cheekbone and nose, but hard-working left winger Pete Babando (left, with Harry Lumley) stepped up to play the hero in front of the home crowd. He beat Rangers goalie Chuck Rayner after 28 minutes and 31 seconds of extra play to settle the first Stanley Cup Final decided by a Game 7 overtime.

The numbers game

• The Rangers have won five straight Game 7s since losing one to the Capitals in the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Their streak is one shy of the NHL record set by the Red Wings from 1949 through ’64 and tied by the Bruins from 1983 through ’94. At 6-0, New York has never lost a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. The Blueshirts are the only team in NHL history to play at least four Game 7s at home and win all of them. They've also won their last nine elimination games at MSG, dating back to ’08, a streak that is also a league record.

• Six of the Rangers’ 11 playoff series since ’09 have gone to Game 7. The Capitals have been taken to the limit in nine of their 11 playoff series since ’08—including each of their past five. Their nine Game 7s in that span are tied with the Bruins for most in the NHL.

• Home teams are 93-65 all-time and 2-0 this year in postseason play. The team that scores first is 117-41, including 2-0 this year. A total of 39 Game 7s have gone to overtime (39-of-158, 24.7%). Road teams are 20-19 in those games.

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