Both the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals enter their second round series feeling a little battered and bruised following a pair of grueling seven game gauntlets in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Rangers played a defensively focused brand of hockey during the regular season, utilizing a group of four defensemen who could be in most NHL teams top pairings in Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Michael Del Zotto, and Ryan McDonagh, along with one of the league’s most dominant goaltenders in Henrik Lundqvist to create a fortress that flummoxed many NHL teams this season.