Playoff Fever...Catch It!!!

My2Cents would like to welcome guest columnist Scott Morath, who gives us his in-depth preview of the Caps/Rangers series which begins on Wednesday. We're hoping Scott becomes a regular contributor with his hockey columns, so give us your feedback and tell him to stay with us!

(2) Washington Capitals versus (7) New York Rangers– The Stanley Cup playoffs frequently boil down to a goaltending duel, which could spell trouble for the second seeded Capitals, who send erratic Jose Theodore between the pipes opposite the Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist—widely regarded as one of the top netminders in the world.

Offense – A considerable edge to the high octane Capitals, who rang up the third highest goal total in the league (272), while only four teams tallied FEWER than the Rangers’ paltry 210 scores. The Caps boast reigning MVP Alex Ovechkin (league high 56 goals), Nicklas Backstrom (66 assists), Alexander Semin (79 points, despite missing 20 games), and Norris Trophy candidate Mike Green (31 goals, only the eighth defenseman in history to reach thirty in a season). Conversely, the Broadway Blueshirts don’t have a single player with 30 goals, or even 60 points. Edge: Capitals

Defense – Outside of the dynamic Green, nobody on either blueline did much to distinguish themselves this season. Given his hefty price tag ($39 million over six years) , the Rangers were expecting A LOT more from free agent signee Wade Redden (3 goals, 23 assists). Twenty-two year old Marc Staal was a bright spot in a shutdown role, logging twenty-one minutes on the backline each night, but the youngster will have his hands full matching up against Washington’s snipers. Edge: Even

Special Teams – The series may hinge on whether or not the Rangers can stay out of the box, and how well their penalty killers fare when they don’t. The Capitals feature the league’s second ranked power play, which clicked at 25.2 percent during the regular season. Fortunately for Rangers fans, their team managed to kill off an NHL best 87.8 percent of opposing man advantages. On the flip side, New York’s power play was god awful (next to last in the league, 13.7 percent), and the Capitals’ penalty kill was middle of the pack (17th out of 30 teams). The playoffs are usually called pretty tight (see picture above), however, meaning plenty of power plays for BOTH teams, which should provide the Capitals with ample opportunities to squeeze a few pucks past King Henrik. Edge: Capitals (albeit a minor one).

Goaltending – Lundqvist versus Theodore… need I say more? Edge: Rangers

Intangibles – The game-breaking aura of Ovechkin is a HUGE intangible for the Capitals, but the Rangers have a few things going for them as well. Chris Drury is one of the all-time clutch players in playoff history, and definitely one to keep an eye on should any of the contests spill into overtime. Super pest Sean Avery salvaged his career with a successful return to Broadway, after Dallas kicked him to the curb on the heels of his infamous ‘sloppy seconds’ remarks. Avery is a master at getting under the skin of opposing players, and will try to goad Washington into taking bad penalties. Meanwhile, don’t underestimate the ‘Tortorella factor’. New York bench boss John Tortorella took over when Tom Renney was fired in February, and he already has a Stanley Cup on his resume, having guided Tampa Bay to the title in 2004. The Capitals’ Bruce Boudreau will be coaching just his second playoff series, having lost to the Flyers in seven games last spring. Edge: Rangers

Outlook – Conventional wisdom suggests going with the team with the superior goalie, but the Capitals have so much firepower in their arsenal (including the equivalent of the H-bomb in Ovechkin) that it will likely come down to Game 7 in Washington, where the Capitals are 29-9-3 this season. Capitals in 7.