Playoff Prescription: Round 2 Rangers vs. Capitals Game 3

No matter what team it is, the playoffs will always be a battle. Nothing is ever gauranteed, no matchup will go as planned exactly. It is all a game of will and determination and hard work.

The Rangers dropped their first game of the series two nights ago as a late goal by Alex Ovechkin lifted the Caps in the 3rd as they fought off an onslaught by the Rangers in the later part of the game. The Rangers lost that game because they dug too deep of a hole, and when they climbed back up, the Caps pushed back and toppled them over. They were not as gritty, and did not get as much support offensively to keep them in the game. Everything they needed to do, they didnt.

Now, the Rangers have a chance at redemption. They have a chance to get back the lead, their momentum, and start anew. As learned in the Ottawa series, when they play the gritty style of play tha has supported them all year, good things happen. What happened in Game 2 was what happens when the Rangers get too pretty with the puck.

It will be a battle of will tonight. Whichever team is willing to scratch and claw for that extra inch will get the win.

Keys to Victory

Go Hard To The Net: That means you, Marian Gaborik. The thing that has annoyed me about the messed up plays by the Rangers as of late has been their inability to take it hard to the net. It sounds like a broken record, but when the Rangers get in front of Braden Holtby and cause some havoc, good things happen. With the absence of Brandon Dubinsky, that has been lacking in this series, and it is time that someone in the lineup took notice and picked up the slack.

Get The Early Lead: The Rangers need to put themselves in a hard-to-reach place early on in the game to assert their dominance and cause the Caps to have to fight back to win. That way, if they do come back and win, they have nobody to blame. Losing is a team effort, and so is winning. When everyone accounts for their job, teams win. When one aspect goes neglected, most of the time that is when teams lose. The Rangers would benefit themselves by jumping out of the gate early to take the crowd out of it, and to deflate the Caps' momentum.

Prediction

Unfortunately, I do not see this night being a good one for the Rangers. They did not show any of the poise they had in Game 1, and I feel that the morale of the team is going to be low, which will lead to a Game 2 repeat. But things can change, and I could be wrong. I usually am.

Enjoy the game!