We’re more than a week into the 26-27 NHL season, and it’s amazing how much can change in a year. Five games in, this New York Rangers team looks nowhere near the disaster fans saw a year ago. After getting shut out on opening night to the Boston Bruins, fans expected the same story for these Blueshirts, but lately, that may not be the case. Since their game in Boston, the Rangers have won four in a row, standing at 4-1-0 at the top of the league and finally looking like a team that actually cares. While any team can start hot and fall in the standings just like that, wins like this early on can certainly be a good sign for what’s to come. After a much-earned day off, the Rangers jump right back into the fire with another road test against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Washington may have only played three games so far this season, but they’ve already shown they can cause problems. After a 5-3 win last night against Pittsburgh, Alex Tuch has no doubt made an immediate impact since joining Washington this offseason. Designed to give the team more offensive depth, their offseason additions have been encouraging early, a good sign of what’s to come for Alex Ovechkin's final season in the NHL. Regardless of his age, New York fans know the 41-year-old remains one of the most dangerous shooters on the ice, and if their penalty kill is as good as it seems, they’ll need to be extremely disciplined whenever he’s on the ice.
For the Rangers, the biggest difference to start this year has been their recent ability to play complete games. Still not having given up a goal in the first period shows a level of consistency fans couldn’t even imagine last season. If there’s a player Washington will need to watch, it’s Alexis Lafrenière. The former first-overall pick enters Friday coming off a hat trick against the New York Islanders and an assist. Although two of the 24-year-old's three goals were empty-netters, he’s been playing like a man possessed. Take away a couple of shots off the post, and the kid would very much be sitting at least five goals to start the season. Lafrenière is not only someone to watch, but his entire line with Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault has been absolutely lethal, and they're looking to put it to the test again.
Both teams come into this matchup with goaltenders certainly worthy of stealing games. Once again, goaltending could decide this game. Igor Shesterkin has started the year as expected, most recently stopping 17 of 19 shots against the Islanders, which sadly snapped his point streak after a goal and an assist in his previous two starts. On the other end, Logan Thompson has also begun the season quite hot, stopping 31 of 33 shots in their season-opening win over the Carolina Hurricanes, followed by another strong performance in their 5-3 win against Pittsburgh.
The biggest question for the Blueshirts is whether their defense can continue its incredible start. Another strong first-period performance could very much force Washington to play from behind. Meanwhile, the Capitals will most likely use their size and physicality to establish possession. Expect the line consisting of Tom Wilson, Tuch, and Pierre-Luc Dubois to create problems along the boards and around the net. This is no doubt a much bigger test for the Rangers than their recent games, a true way of knowing just how improved their defense has gotten. With a big game coming up for both teams, can Washington spoil the Rangers' hot start, or will the Rangers' defense in front of Igor be enough to withstand Washington’s firepower?
