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The NHL playoffs are in full swing, with a Metropolitan Division game in the most renowned arena. The eighth-seeded Washington Capitals are on the road for lay Game 2 of their best-of-seven series with the top-seeded New York Rangers on Tuesday.
The two teams opened their series on Sunday afternoon, with the Rangers coming away with a comprehensive 4-1 win to draw first blood in the tie.
Having finished the regular season 28th in the NHL in goals per game, with just 2.63 goals per game, the Capitals struggled to produce attacking zone possession and scoring chances, with only 21 shots on goal.
There's now little margin for error, particularly against the Rangers, who won the Presidents' Trophy by leading the NHL with team records of 55 wins and 114 points. The Capitals can't afford to take two or three games to get back their offensive rhythm in a short series.
Here, GOAL brings you all the information you need to know about this NHL match, including how to watch, team news, key results and head-to-head results.
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals: Date & Puck-Drop time
| Date | Tuesday, April 23, 2024 |
| Time | 7:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm PT |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden |
| Location | New York City, New York |
The Stanley Cup Playoff Round 1 Game 2 between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals takes place at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, USA on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The game will begin at 7:00 pm ET/ 4:00 pm PT.
How to watch the New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals NHL Game on TV & stream live online
The Rangers vs. Capitals NHL fixture will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN.
If you don't have cable TV, the best way to watch almost every NHL playoff game online is with DirecTV Stream Choice. Best of all, DirecTV Stream packages start with a five-day free trial. You need to pay for DirecTV Stream's Ultimate plan ($119.99 per month) to get all the channels you need to watch games on national channels: ABC, ESPN, NHL Network, TBS, and TNT.
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals Team News & Key Leaders
New York Rangers
New York have Filip Chytil and Blake Wheeler on the injured list, but both are expected to return by April 23. However, the playing status for both is up in the air.
The Rangers flexed their muscle in the opening game, using a big burst of offensive firepower in the second period to seize control and take a 1-0 advantage. Matt Rempe opened the scoring with his first goal of the playoffs at 4:17, with assists going to Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow. Only 33 seconds later, Artemi Panarin netted his first of the postseason off assists from Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere for a 2-0 Rangers lead.
Vesey made it three to the good on 6:23. They conceded a goal shortly after which cut the margin to 3-1. Chris Kreider tallied his first of the playoffs at 16:17 in the third period off assists from Mika Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic to close the scoring.
Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped 20 of 21 shots he faced in goal and after one game of the playoffs has a 1.00 goals against average and .952 save percentage.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals blue line is still shorthanded, with Nick Jensen (upper body) and Nicklas Backstrom (hip) unavailable with injuries.
Washington, despite their excellent play in the last ten days of the regular season, going 4-1 in their last five games, appeared to be out of gas by the start of the postseason.
After conceding three goals in just over two minutes to trail 3-0, Martin Fehervary bagged his first goal of the postseason at 7:3 off assists from Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Proteas.
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren has carried this team in between the pipes making 27 saves for the Capitals, but there's only so much he can do against four powerful lines.
Head-to-Head Record
In their postseason history, New York holds the upper hand with a 5-4 series record, though each team has picked up 28 wins in head-to-head playoff action. The Rangers have won the past three meetings between the clubs in seven games, including the 2015 Eastern Conference playoffs.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 21/4/24 | New York Rangers 4-1 Washington Capitals | NHL |
| 14/01/24 | New York Rangers 2-1 Washington Capitals | NHL |
| 13/01/24 | Washington Capitals 3-2 New York Rangers | NHL |
| 28/12/23 | New York Rangers 5-1 Washington Capitals | NHL |
| 10/12/23 | Washington Capitals 4-0 New York Rangers | NHL |