Capitals - Rangers preview - 04-12-11

(1) Capitals vs. (8) Rangers

Capitals Leading Regular Season Scorer: Alex Ovechkin (right), 85 points (32 goals, 53 assists).

Rangers Leading Postseason Scorer: Brandon Dubinsky, 54 points (22 goals, 26 assists).

Capitals Regular Season Statistics

Rangers Regular Season Statistics

Capitals with Stanley Cup bling: Mike Knuble, Jason Arnott.

Rangers with Stanley Cup bling: Chris Drury, Ruslan Fedotenko.

Something worthwhile about the Capitals: The Capitals had a penalty killing percentage of 85.6 this season, second-best in the NHL.

Something worthwhile about the Rangers: In four games against the Capitals this season, the Rangers scored 17 goals and allowed six.

Something useless about the Capitals that is vaguely connected to the Penguins: The Capitals franchise is the only one-time member of the NHL's old Patrick Division which has never won a Stanley Cup title. The Rangers (1927, 1932, 1940, 1994), Flyers (1974, 1975), Islanders (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983), Flames (1989), Penguins (1991, 1992, 2009) and Devils (1995, 2000, 2003) have at least one title.

Something useless about the Rangers that is vaguely connected to the Penguins: Former Penguins captain Jaromir Jagr holds the Rangers' single-season record for goal with 56 in 2005-06.

Former Penguins on the Capitals: Matt Bradley, LW.

Former Penguins on the Rangers: Erik Christensen, C; Ruslan Fedotenko, LW; Chad Johnson, G (Johnson was a former Penguins prospect but never actually played for the organization); Rick Kehoe, professional scout; Glen Sather, president/general manager.

Who needs to be the difference for the Capitals: John Carlson and Karl Alzner. With Mike Green, Dennis Wideman and Tom Poti each dealing with various injuries, Carlson and Alzner have had to step up and eat a ton of minutes in all sorts of situations. They need to maintain stability on Washington's banged-up blue line.

Who needs to be the difference for the Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist (above). He has basically meant everything to his team down the stretch. Given the Rangers' offensive struggles, he needs to be even more now that the postseason has started.

Best Capitals YouTube Video We Could Find: Rod Langway's overtime goal against the Rangers in Game 4 of a 1990 Patrick Division final:

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Best Rangers YouTube Video We Could Find: Former Rangers goaltener Mike Richter stopping Canucks forward Pavel Bure on a penalty shot in Game 4 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final:

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EN Prediction: These aren't your older brother's Capitals who runned and gunned all up and down the ice. They have a committment to defense. They're involved in a whole lot more 3-2 games than 5-4 games. Theyhave some issues in net and on defense with regards to health, but they enter the postseason on a tear going 16-3-1 in their last 20 games. The Rangers struggled to get into the postseason and their best player, Lundqvist has to be gassed after playing in 25 consecutive games. Capitals 4-1.

(Photos: Ovechkin-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Lundqvist-Al Bello/Getty Images)