Game #65
Caps (43-13-8, 94 points) vs. New York Rangers (29-27-8, 66 points)
How difficult is winning at Verizon Center these days? Well, the New York Rangers have chosen to hold out star goalie Henrik Lundqvist. He’ll play instead on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres. In his place is journeyman Alex Auld, who will try to keep Washington from extending its club-record home winning streak to 13 in a row.
The lineups will be in flux for much of the final 18 games. This time second-line center Brendan Morrison sits. Recent acquisition Eric Belanger moves into that spot. Tomas Fleischmann returns to center the third line. He has Jason Chimera and Eric Fehr as his wingers. David Steckel is also back in the lineup at fourth-line center. Boyd Gordon gets a night off. Matt Bradley jumps back in – but this time at left wing as Scott Walker sticks at right wing, where he had two goals last game. Jose Theodore is in goal for the Caps as the lineup experimenting continues. Hey – when you have a 12-point lead and a game in hand on the second-best team in the Eastern Conference (Pittsburgh) you are afforded the luxury.
Final meeting of the year between these two teams unless they meet in the playoffs again. The Caps won both games this season against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. New York is one of just three teams, though, to win a game in regulation at Verizon Center – 4-3 on Oct. 8. Washington is 24-3-3 at home in 2009-10. Caps were 29-9-3 at Verizon Center last season.
