Pregame: Rangers at Caps (Game 7)

The Rangers are in Washington for Game 7 of their first round playoff series with the Capitals. The puck drops at 7 p.m., and the game can be seen locally on MSG.

Do you know the last time the Rangers played a Game 7?



That was almost 15 years ago, and I still get chills. How can you not get pumped after watching that video.

And that team had a brilliant season. They walked easily through the first two rounds of the playoffs, in fact. But nothing came easy for them after that. The conference finals went to seven games, capped off with one of the most epic games in Stanley Cup playoff history.




And then the finals went seven games. The finals against a team that most didn’t even think would be there.

There are lessons to be learned. Expect the unexpected when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Nothing comes easy. Everyone has a shot. On any given night, any team can turn in the performance of a lifetime.

Before this series even started, no one was picking the Rangers. Many thought the Caps would just overpower the Rangers and sweep them away. That has been true in some games, including the last two, but it hasn’t always been the case. Remember, the Rangers had a 2-0 lead. They made the Caps work to even get to a Game 7.

Have the Caps figured out Lundqvist? I think they’ve figured out the game plan more than Lundqvist. Get the first goal because if the Rangers do, they’ll protect the lead with their lives. That’s how the Rangers have won in this series. The Rangers have got to get back to their roots and get that first goal, play a tight defense and forecheck hard. And, of course, they need Lundqvist to play like he did in Game 4.



There’s obviously a lot of other things going on. There’s Dubinsky’s bitten hand. There’s the loss of Betts, for which Brasheer was suspended. There’s the security issues in Washington.

But above it all, the season rides on one game. It all comes down to tonight. Win or go home. Everyone is counting this team out. And this team, for all its faults, plays its best when everyone counts them out.

Want to read some news from behind enemy lines? Check out the Washington Post’s Caps blog and our friends at On Frozen Blog.

Tonight’s anticipated line-up
Blair Betts has a broken orbital bone. That means he’s probably done for a lot longer than just tonight. That’s a major blow for the top penalty killing unit in the NHL.

Donald Brasheer was suspended for his actions.