Geoff JohnsonRangers and Capitals have played a tremendous first round series, and they will have to define the winner of it this Monday at 8 PM ET at the Verizon Center in a game 7.
New York won game six on Sunday with a 1-0 score and pushed this series to the limit. Each team has won at home on every single match, but on game seven anything can happen.
“We are just going to have the same mentality we had coming into this game,” Derick Brassard, the one who scored the winning goal said. “We just played our game, had fun. The guys were relaxed, and that’s what we need to do (Monday).”
“We needed it. There was desperation out there,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “We showed a lot of character and worked really hard. It was that type of game where you pay the price — big saves, physical. Great win.”
In a game seven, the errors will make a huge difference that’s why penalty killing is important in a winner takes all situation. “We battled the whole way,” Capitals goalie Braden Holtby said. “Disappointing, but we move along. Our (penalty-killing) is doing great, holding us in the series. Our guys kept their composure. We knew this could go seven.”
The Rangers beat the Capitals 4-1 in the regular season at the Verizon Center; they could use a win like that on Monday. The last two matchups have ended UNDER the total as both teams have become too familiar with each other.
