After winning their second straight Southeast Division title, my Washington Capitals begin their first round playoff series against the New York Rangers tonight. The Caps won the season series against the Rangers 3-1, including a 5-4 overtime win in which the Caps came back from a 4-0 deficit. Should Washington get by the Broadway Blueshirts, their season record against the other Eastern Conference playoff teams:
Boston Bruins: Caps won series 3-1 including each team winning an overtime game.
New Jersey Devils: Caps won 2-0 with a Devils shootout win
Carolina Hurricanes-Split season series 3-3
Philadelphia Flyers: Split season series 2-2
Montreal Canadiens- Caps won Season series 2-1
Pittsburgh Penguins-Caps won season series 3-0-and 1 shootout loss.
Should the Caps Make it through the Eastern Conference , and make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, here’s how the Caps did against Western Conference playoff teams
Detroit Red Wings-Caps won only meeting this season
Chicago Blackhawks Ditto
Columbus Blue Jackets- Col. won both games, getting shut outs from super rookie goalie
Steve Mason in both contests.
St. Louis Blues- Caps won only meeting
Calgary Flames- Cal. won only meeting
Vancouver Canucks-Caps one only meeting
San Jose Sharks (Won President’s Trophy for having NHL’ s best record) SJ won only meeting.
What the Caps have to do to succeed :
Goaltending: Jose Theodore has never lost a first round playoff series. He needs to step up
Should we advance.
Avoid OT (Especially multi OT games) The Caps have not won an overtime playoff game
since Joe Juneau’s goal in OT of game 6 of the 1998 Eastern Conf. finals sent the Caps to the finals. They have lost 5 in a row since.
Avoid the state of Pennsylvania: Bowing 3-1 series leads again the Pens twice, Losing to the Flyers in 7 games last year, need I say more?
This should be interesting!
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