Game #38: New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals Open Thread

After a pit stop at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, the Blueshirts are back on the road to kick off a back-to-back set of away games. Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. is the site for the first of those games as Peter Laviolette's current team takes on his previous team, the Washington Capitals.

The Capitals' resurgence as been one of the most surprising storylines of the 2024-25 campaign. After sneaking into the playoffs and getting swept away by the Rangers in the opening round, Washington appeared destined to ride the mushy middle indefinitely, with Alex Ovechkin's chase of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals scoring record being the only interesting thing about them. The halfway point of the season is almost here, and the Capitals sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 25-10-3 record.

That showing has come even with Ovechkin missing multiple weeks due to a leg injury, and with their franchise pillar healthy and back in the lineup, the Capitals present an immense challenge to the Blueshirts. Jonathan Quick will make a second consecutive start in goal, and he'll be the last line of defense against Ovechkin and the rest of Washington's offensive attack.

Player to Watch: Braden Schneider

While New York's struggles have centered primarily around bigger name players underperforming or being disgruntled, Schneider has not covered himself in glory this season. The former first round pick in the 2020 Entry Draft hasn't been the reason the Rangers are 5-15-0 in their last 20 games, but he hasn't distinguished himself either. Rumors have started to circulate that Schneider could be a desirable piece for another team if the Rangers are looking to make a splashy trade addition, so who knows whether or not Schneider is long for this team. Keep an eye on #4 in blue today as the Blueshirts look to rattle off consecutive wins for the first time since 2024.

Enjoy the game!