New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals

7:00 p.m. Sunday

Madison Square Garden

Rangers Record: 17-13-1

Capitals Record: 18-10-3

Tonight, Dec. 12, the Rangers return home to take on the Capitals at MSG. The Rangers, coming off a hard-fought loss against the Blue Jackets on Saturday night, look to reestablish winning ways against the slumping Caps.

The Rangers’ loss on Saturday night was the type of loss which hurts the most – a last-minute one. The deciding goal was scored by Blue Jackets’ captain Rick Nash with under four minutes remaining in a 1-1 game. Though the Rangers did not gain any points in the standings on Saturday, it was not a totally useless game. The team truly fought and played well, and this loss should not be a deterrent to an otherwise respectable 6-4 over its last 10 games.

Last year’s President’s Trophy winners have lost their last five games, culminating in a similarly hard-fought loss against Colorado on Saturday night. Washington was able to take a few good things away from this game, including scoring its first power-play goal since Dec. 6. The Capitals will certainly be working extra-hard to overcome their recent losing streak and get back on a winning track.

The Caps’ defenseman Mike Green missed the last game due to illness; he may or may not be good to go tonight. Though the Rangers’ Chris Drury and Vinny Prospal are very close to returning, the team will have to wait a little longer for its leaders to be ready to play. Rangers’ sophomore defenseman Matt Gilroy got his second straight start on Saturday, after playing only sparingly throughout this season. With only 10 minutes of ice time—the lowest among Rangers’ defensemen—it will be interesting to see whether Coach Tortorella chooses to start Gilroy or Steve Eminger as the sixth defenseman tonight. 

The Rangers’ most recent loss closely resembles that of Dec. 5 against the Ottawa Senators. The late goal in a close game is strikingly similar. After that game, the Rangers came back in their next game to score five goals in a decisive victory. If this can be considered a trend, we can expect another win from the Rangers tonight.