Washington tries to stay focused on playoff philosophy
The Capitals spent much of this season tailoring their play for what they hope will be a long run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Those tweaks have continued to pay dividends beyond the regular season. But Washington also ran directly into a New York Rangers team that already had the postseason staples — blocking shots, delivering big hits and grinding its way toward each and every goal — down pat.
Rangers coach John Tortorella admits his team has to play that way. The offensive talent simply isn’t there to employ another style. In a series where time and space are at a premium, the Caps could take something from that philosophy entering Game 4 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
| Caps notes |
| » The Caps and Rangers meet at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night for Game 4. The contest will be broadcast on CSN at 7 p.m. |
| » Veteran forward Mike Knuble did not participate in Tuesday’s practice. Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said it was a “maintenance day” and expects Knuble to play. |
| » Caps forward Alex Ovechkin now has 22 goals and 22 assists in 31 career Stanley Cup playoff games. He averages 1.4 points per game in the postseason. Ovechkin has two goals and two assists vs. New York. |
| EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS |
| Caps vs. Rangers |
| (Washington leads series 2-1) |
| Game 1 » WAS 2, NYR 1 (OT) |
| Game 2 » WAS 2, NYR 0 |
| Game 3 » NYR 3, WAS 2 |
| Game 4 » Wed. at NYR, 7 p.m. |
| Game 5 » Sat. at WAS, 3 p.m. |
| Game 6 » Mon. at NYR, TBD* |
| Game 7 » Apr. 27 at WAS, TBD* |
| * If necessary |
Washington still leads the series 2-1, but it has also managed just six goals in the first three games against New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist. That doesn’t leave much margin for error.
“It’s a tight, defensive game out there. It’s been a hard-fought game, lots of hitting,” Caps veteran center Jason Arnott said. “It’s hard to get to [Lundqvist]. It’s hard to get shots on net. They’re playing real well that way. As well as we are.”
The Rangers’ forward line of Sean Avery — scratched in the first game — Brian Boyle and Brandon Prust has proved difficult for Washington to handle. That trio set the tone in a hard-hitting first period during Game 3 on Sunday, a 3-2 New York victory. They were credited with a combined 10 hits and Boyle himself put a game-high nine shots on goal.
“[The Rangers] were physical,” said Caps defenseman Mike Green, who has taken his fair share of shots in this series, including big ones from Avery and then Prust behind the Washington net in the first period Sunday. “We could have been a little more physical on them. But they had a lot of emotion in their building, and they used it to their advantage.”
Washington’s players say there are no more secrets for Wednesday. They need to do a better job of getting traffic in front of Lundqvist and definitely must shoot the puck when the space is available. The Rangers will take advantage of any hesitation or attempt to make a prettier play. New York is also adept at blocking shots — though it dropped from 28 in Game 1 to 15 in Game 2 and had just 12 Sunday. Washington, meanwhile, has blocked 64 shots in the series.
“We play different right now. [The Rangers] have the same style almost every year,” Caps forward Alex Ovechkin said. “Again, it’s the playoffs. Every shift, every second is like a war.”
