Game #41: New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals Open Thread

The halfway point of the 2023-24 campaign has arrived for the Blueshirts. It feels like yesterday the Rangers were taking the ice in Buffalo for the first game of the Peter Laviolette era, but the team will have completed 50% of the regular season following today’s matinee against Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson, and the rest of the Washington Capitals.

Today’s game is the first half of a home and home set between these Metropolitan Division foes. The teams will square off once again tomorrow afternoon at Madison Square Garden, but the focus for today is on the action at Capital One Arena in DC. The Blueshirts find themselves in the midst of their first three game losing streak of the season, and are in desperate need of a bounce back following their most recent drubbing on Thursday.

Player to Watch: Mika Zibanejad

Zibanejad missed New York’s last game, sitting out as a last minute scratch due to an illness. Zac Jones drew into the lineup in his place, and the Rangers were forced to roll with 11 forwards and seven defenseman as a result. If the Blueshirts are going to get back into the win column, a strong game from Zibanejad would go a long way towards accomplishing that, so keep an eye on the team’s top center today.

Enjoy the game!