2013 NHL Playoffs: 5 Keys to New York Rangers-Washington Capitals Series

2013 NHL Playoffs: 5 Keys to New York Rangers-Washington Capitals Series

They are familiar, and in some critical ways, unfamiliar foes: the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers. In last year’s nail-biter of a series, the Rangers were able to outlast the club in seven games. No game epitomized just how close of series it was than Game 3, a triple-overtime thriller that lasted four and a half hours. Rangers’ goalie Henrik Lundqvist was able to outlast Capitals net-minder Braden Holtby. It was a defensive series that ultimately tilted on the Rangers 2-1, Game 7 win that sent the Capitals packing.

The complexion of this series could look a lot different than the one that preceded it, however. Last year, the Rangers were the No. 1 seed in the conference and the Caps No. 1. This time, the Capitals are the favorite in this series as the third seed, while the Rangers occupy the sixth. This year’s version of the Capitals is offensively superior.

In the regular season the Caps were tied for fourth in the league in scoring at 3.04 goals per game. The Capitals led the league in power play percentage by scoring with the man advantage 26.8 percent of the time. Conversely, this year’s Rangers were just 20th in the power play, scoring 15.7 percent of the time. However, the club is still defensively sound, having allowed just 2.25 goals in the regular season, good for fourth in the league.

The main question is whether the Rangers have enough to halt the Capitals' prodigious offensive attack. Last year’s Rangers were successful in limiting Alex Ovechkin. This year the club not only has to worry about Ovie, it also has to stop Mike Ribeiro, Nicklas Backstrom, Troy Brouwer and defensemen Mike Green and Martin Erat.

It will be a tall task for the guys in blue. For the Capitals, it will be about producing scoring chances against the stalwart Lundqvist and hard-charging defensemen Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh. In any event, this series hinges on five key developments that will ultimately decide which club advances.

The Kid versus the King, Part Two

Ultimately, this series will be decided on which goalie performs better, Lundqvist or Holtby. The former is an established superstar with a winning pedigree, the other an emerging hotshot who has the ability to make “wow” plays. The King edged out the kid last year, but this time Holtby has the offensive support that the Rangers lack.

The King managed to put together a solid campaign. However, he was under tremendous duress for most of it, facing 1,190 shots, which was the fourth most in the regular season.

Last year, the 23-year-old Holtby was stellar over a 14 game stretch that saw the seventh-seeded Capitals fall a goal short of advancing to the conference finals. Although the Capitals re-signed young backup Michal Neuvirth, this is still very much Holtby’s team.

He faces a tall task against a rejuvenated Ranger’s club that has been finding the net with increasing frequency. It doesn’t help that the Capitals were pretty average defensively all year. The club was just 14th in opponent scoring in the regular season. Holtby will also face a more talented Rangers club than last year’s version, which mustered more than two goals twice in last year’s series.

Can the Rangers score?

A month ago, the Rangers could not score if the sport was basketball and the hoop was five feet tall. At one point, the club was scoring the least amount of goals in the league. When it traded Marian Gaborik, a coveted 40-goal scorer, everyone wondered whether its offense would be doomed for good. The reverse has happened.

The Rangers upped its scoring over the final month due to the emergence of Derek Stepan and the reemergence of Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan. Both guys ended the season on point streaks. Rick Nash, the team’s lone, established superstar, continued his production. The recent developments still beg the question: which Rangers club will show up for the series — the one that could barely score or the one that woke up and began finding the net during the last month of the season?

Party ‘Ovi’ Here

Okay, sorry for the bad pun. It seems that since Mike Milbury blasted Ovechkin on national television back in February, old No. 8 has set the nets on fire. He finished the season tied for first place in goals with 48 and set an NHL record for April tallies in one season with 13.

As expected, Ovechkin’s No. 1 critic has praised him in light of the winger’s resurgence. It’s a far cry from when Milbury said the winger “failed” the superstar test “miserably”.

Now, the stakes are higher. The Capitals are not as dependent on Ovechkin as it was last year, but he is still a crucial component. He has recaptured his point-per game form again and if he’s able to continue that pace this series, the Rangers are finished.

Nash and Step Have to Be Everything

The Rangers depth production has improved, but the team continues to struggle with its health, as evidenced by the nagging injuries to Ryane Clowe, Brian Boyle and Marc Staal. The Rangers' scoring beyond Nash and Stepan has been shaky at best in the regular season. Both players have been able to perform at a high level, helping teammates Richards, Callahan and Carl Hagelin score with more frequency. Yet, for the Rangers to be successful, it has to have its two stars perform at a point-per game level or more.

The two constant offensive threats have to be “on” for a club that has a hard time obtaining depth scoring from its bottom six. If one or both players happen to have consecutive off games, it could mean an easy exit for the Rangers, who statistically doesn’t possess the Capital’s depth scoring.

Power Play and Penalty Kill Will Tell the Story

The Capitals are blessed with a fearsome power play which primarily consists of Ovechkin, Green, Brouwer, Ribeiro and Backstrom. The Rangers, which tied the Chicago Blackhawks for fewest penalty minutes with 9.2 per game, has to make sure it does not end up in too many ‘penalty kill’ situations.

Conversely, the Capitals have to overcome the Rangers’ defensemen. Even with the lingering eye injury to Marc Staal, defensemen Girardi, McDonagh and the talented but maddening Michael Del Zotto headline a rugged group that can hit, block shots and kill penalties with panache. They log heavy ice time and fit what Rangers head coach John Totorella likes to do defensively. What’s more, they make it hard on the opposition’s leading scorer. Whichever special team's unit wins – the Capitals’ power play or the Rangers’ penalty kill – decides the series, plain and simple.

Tacuma R. Roeback is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TacumaRoe, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+