Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers Predictions, Picks And Preview– 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Eastern Conference Second Round Game 5 – May 8, 2015

The Washington Capitals are making life hard for the President Trophy winners, New York Rangers. After winning in Game 4, 2-1, the Caps are just a win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. Will Washington eliminate the Rangers right in front of New York faithful? Or will the defending conference champions hang on for at least one more game?

Read on for more about this game below. You can also click here for our preview of Game 4 of the series between the Lightning and Habs.
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Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers Betting Preview

Series Scores & Schedule

Game 1 – Washington Capitals 2 at New York Rangers 1

Game 2 – Washington Capitals 2 at New York Rangers 3

Game 3 – New York Rangers 0 at Washington Capitals 1

Game 4 – New York Rangers 1 at Washington Capitals 2

Game 5 – May 8, 7:00 PM ET – Washington Capitals at New York Rangers – view all NHL lines

Game 6* – May 10, TBD – New York Rangers at Washington Capitals

Game 7* – May 12, TBD – Washington Capitals at New York Rangers

*If necessary

Betting on the Washington Capitals

Barry Trotz has really transformed the Capitals into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. That much can be said about Washington, after another sublime performance in its Game 4 win over the Rangers.

[sc:NHL240 ]Another young gun starred in Game 4 for Washington, as the team got both of its goals from 20-year-old Andre Burakovsky. Burakovsky’s breakout performance meant that all of the Caps’ last three goals in this series were generated by the team’s third line that also boasts Troy Brouwer and Jay Beagle. Beagle scored the Caps’ lone goal in Game 3. This is good news for the Caps’ offense that needs other players to step up to shift some of the Rangers’ focus away from Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Ovechkin and Backstrom have been deadly in this postseason, combining for seven goals and eight assists while playing in the first line together. Despite their teammates rising to the occasion, both players will still be the Caps’ top options on offense come Friday night.

Braden Holtby, meanwhile, has been playing in this series as if he wants to have a statue of himself built in front of Verizon Center. Holtby stopped all but one of the 59 shots he faced in Games 3 and 4 at home. Holtby will enter Friday’s game with a 6-4 record and 1.54 goals against average and .949 save percentage. The Caps are 4-2 in Holtby’s last four starts against the Rangers.

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Betting on the New York Rangers

Henrik Lundqvist must be feeling like it’s the 2014 Stanley Cup Final all over again, as he just can’t get enough goal support to complement his otherwise superb goal tending. The Rangers’ anemic offense reared its ugly head again in Game 4, wherein they managed to score just one goal or fewer for the third time in this series.

Lundqvist couldn’t quite hold on to the one-goal cushion courtesy of Derrick Brassard, as he allowed two goals in the Game 4 loss. Lundqvist hasn’t surrendered more than two goals in any of his last eight starts in these playoffs, but a lack of goal support has seemingly wasted his excellent play in between the pipes against Washington.

Brassard has been the only consistent scorer for the Rangers these playoffs. He isn’t the highest paid New York skater, but he’s playing like one, pacing the team with five postseason goals.

The same can’t be said, however, of Rick Nash, who, incidentally, is the most expensive New York skater. Nash has simply been a non-factor in this series, going without a goal in four games against the Caps. Martin St. Louis is another Rangers star that has been absent in this series, as he only has two assists to show thus far in the second round.

With their season on the line, the Rangers are expecting Nash and St. Louis to recover their scoring touch when the team plays on Friday at Madison Square Garden, where they are 6-4 in their last 10 games against Washington.

Writer’s Prediction

Washington advances to the next round with a 3-2 win.
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