Game 2 of the Rangers vs. Capitals.
The first game between these two clubs ended in overtime on a shot by Alex Semin. The Rangers managed to show that they could hang with the fast and explosive offense of the Capitals, only coming up just short.
The one thing I stressed in my pre-game post last time was I think the Rangers needed to really press and test Michal Neuvirth. Obviously, it was pretty hard for the Rangers to get control of the puck. But once they did, they weren't taking enough shots. And when they did, a lot of them were getting blocked. Those are the trials that playoff hockey comes in. the Rangers need to learn how to be aggressive, while also being able to "flip-a-switch" on that aggressiveness at the right time.
The Caps had a good game against the Rangers. They looked as though they have looked behind on all of the problems that the Rangers caused them in the regular season, and came out energized looking like a brand new team. It will be interesting to see if that success goes straight to their heads or if they manage to keep their focus and do the same thing tonight.
The Prescription
The Rangers need to forget about the last game between these two clubs and come out as energized as the Caps were last game. There was good control of the neutral zone by both teams in the last game so it is hard to call on what needs to be improved defensively, however, the Rangers need to make sure they do not hand the Caps any second chances (say, failing to get the puck out of the zone?). The Rangers also need to cut down on a lot of the cycling they like to do once they get solid control of the puck in the offensive zone. No more passing, MORE SHOOTING!
Enjoy the game!
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