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The Rangers are in Washington tonight after a nine-game home stretch where they went 3-4-2, but were 3-1-1 in their final 5 games. A team in a losing streak tends to take baby steps to get back to their winning ways, and the Rangers did just that with stronger showings against Calgary, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Toronto that sandwiched an abysmal game against the Isles. The Caps are no pushover, having beaten the Rangers 4-1 the last time they faced.
Washington coach Adam Oates runs an overload 1-2-2 forecheck, same as the Rangers. They generally send one man in, but if the chances at a turnover are high, they will send the second and third man in. They are fairly aggressive when it comes to defensive zone schemes, playing an overload style along the walls and collapsing down when the puck is down low, also like the Rangers. Their power play strategy is a 1-3-1, and their penalty kill formation changes based on opponent’s setup.
Rangers Lineup:
Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash
Brad Richards-Derick Brassard-MZA
Carl Hagelin-J.T. Miller-Benoit Pouliot
Brian Boyle-Dom Moore-Derek Dorsett
Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi
John Moore-Anton Stralman
Michael Del Zotto-Justin Falk
Cam Talbot gets the start.
Scratches: Ryan Callahan (knee), Marc Staal (concussion), Taylor Pyatt (healthy)
Game time is 7pm tonight on MSG2. Don’t forget to check out our Rangers Tickets link for deals to attend games.
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