Day: April 20, 2009

Going into tonight’s Game 3 with the Capitals, it’s hard not to be excited. The Rangers, in the bottom half of the league in terms of road success during the regular season, return home to the Garden with a perfect 2-0 record. It’s a record the Rangers have worked hard to earn, overcoming the potent Washington attack with fine goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist, and a continuation of the league’s best regular season penalty kill.

A loss tonight on home ice though, and the series takes on a whole new perspective.

The playoffs shift to the Garden tonight and the Rangers will be looking to try and take a 3-0 lead in the series with the Capitals. It’s not an easy task, and no one is celebrating just yet. The Rangers have lost two of the three Quarterfinal Game 3s at MSG since the lockout, both to New Jersey. In 2007 they shutout Atlanta 7-0 in Game 3.

In order to win, the Blueshirts will likely again have to frustrate the NHL’s leading goal scorer. Alexander Ovechkin has just two assists through the first two games, and was guilty of five turnovers in Game 2. The key player for the Rangers in that quest will of course once again be Henrik Lundqvist.