rockthered.net pregame & Poll for fun

Washington Capitals (43-13-8) vs. New York Rangers (29-27-8)
Verizon Center       
Time: 7:00 pm
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: 820AM, 1500AM, 106.7FM and XM 
Previous Games:
Oct 8, 2009      NYR@WSH     L, 4-3
Nov 17, 2009   WSH@NYR    W, 4-2
Jan 31, 2010    WSH@NYR     W, 6-5 
Remaining Games:
(none)

(A look into Sean Avery's bedroom.)

The New York Rangers head down 95 to face the Washington Capitals for the final matchup this season. In their third game since returning from the Vancouver Olympic break, the Caps will look to extend their franchise-record home win streak to 13 games, while the Rags will try to avenge Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where they were out shot 55 to 16.. DC is 24-3-3 at the Phone Booth this season, with one of their regulation losses coming at the hands of the Rangers behind Marian Gaborik's two third period goals. Although Gaborik has 35 of the Rangers 167 goals this season, and is 4-2-6 in three games against the Caps this season, there's no saying if he will test his injured groin on the notoriously bad Verizon Center ice. Ryan Callahan has been able to step up in Maid Marion's absence however, netting 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 7 games. He is the Rangers' second leading scorer (17 g), and is second on the club in power play goals (8) - all while being second in the league in hits (246).

Although Alex Ovechkin has been in a bit of a drought lately, he should be able to shake his season long 5-game goal drought this evening, as he has pierced New York for 13 goals and 9 assists in 19 games in his career - and has scored 3 goals in 3 meetings this season. Also, be on the look out from hard skating top to bottom today, as every member of the Caps roster is fighting for ice time following the acquisitions of Eric Belanger, Joe Corvo, and Scott Walker - who nearly doubled his goal production for the entire season while lighting the lamp twice on Thursday against the Lightning.