Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First Round

The New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals will open the first round playoff series tonight at Madison Square Garden.

The Capitals caught the last train to make it to the playoffs

The Washington Capitals finished the regular season eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 40-31-11 record and made it to the playoffs just because of the goal differential since they had the same number of points as the Detroit Red Wings. The Capitals won the last three games of the regular season and are coming off a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. They are 17th in the league, allowing 3.07 goals per game, and are ranked 28th, scoring 2.63. Dylan Strome leads the team with 67 points.

The Rangers had the best regular season record

The New York Rangers finished on top of the Eastern Conference with the best record in the league of 55-23-4. They won seven of the last 10 games to close out the regular season and are coming off a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers are third in the league in converting on 26.4% of their power play situation, seventh in scoring 3.39 goals per game and allowing 2.76. Artemi Panarin is ranked among the top 5 players in the league with 49 goals, 71 assists, and a total of 120 points.

Betting Trends

The Rangers have won 4 of the last 6 games against the Capitals and 5 of the last 6 against them in New York. The Rangers are 10-3 SU in the last 13 games overall and 4-1 SU in the last five home games. Washington is 4-1 SU in the last five games overall and 2-4 SU in the last six games on the road.

Prediction and Conclusion

The New York Rangers are going into the playoffs with the best record in the league, and that certainly puts them among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup trophy. The Rangers are rock solid on the defensive end and have Artemi Panarin, who can both create and score on offense. The Capitals barely made it to the playoffs, and they are far from the Rangers level. However, the Capitals are an experienced team and have nothing to lose in this series. The Rangers will go out and make a statement tonight with a comfortable win covering the -1.5 puck line.