NHL On Tap: Ovechkin continues Gretzky chase when Capitals visit Rangers
Matthews seeks point in 11th in row for Maple Leafs; Stutzle eyes point in 13th straight for Senators
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Welcome to the NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There are five games on the schedule for Wednesday, including two nationally televised in the United States and one in Canada.
Washington Capitals at New York Rangers (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, MSG)
Forward Alex Ovechkin needs 11 goals to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history and two points to become the 11th player to reach 1,600 in his League career. The Capitals (39-14-8) are two points behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the NHL standings. If they finish first after finishing 17th last season, they will make the second largest leap by a No. 1 seed in NHL history. The record is held by the Rangers, who went from 19th in 1992-93 to No. 1 in 1993-94. The Rangers (31-26-4) are tied with the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, and there are three teams behind them within two points.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, TSN4, TVAS)
Center Auston Matthews has 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in a 10-game point streak for the Maple Leafs (38-20-3), who are are 5-0-1 in their past six and tied with the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. The Golden Knights (36-18-6) are 5-0-3 in their past eight games at T-Mobile Arena and first in the Pacific Division. Center Tomas Hertl (seven goals, two assists) and forward Pavel Dorofeyev (five goals, four assists) each has nine points to lead Vegas during the home point streak.
Ottawa Senators at Chicago Blackhawks (7:30 p.m. ET; CHSN, SN, TVAS)
Center Tim Stutzle has 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in a 12-game point streak. He can become the fourth player in Ottawa history with one of at least 13 games, joining Dany Heatley (22 games in 2005-06 and 16 in 2006-07), Drake Batherson (13 in 2022-23) and Marian Hossa (13 in 2002-03). The Senators (30-25-5) are one point behind the Rangers and Red Wings for the second wild card in the East but 1-5-1 in their past seven. The Blackhawks (19-35-7) have won two straight following a five-game skid (0-4-1).
The GR8 Chase: Ovechkin turns and fires a shot home for his 884th career goal
Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks (10:30 p.m. ET; SNP, KCOP-13, Victory+)
The Canucks (27-22-11) are 1-4-0 in their past five games and two points behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild card in the Western Conference. Center Leo Carlsson has nine points (four goals, five assists) in his past eight games for the Ducks (27-26-7).
St. Louis Blues at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, FDSNW, SNW, SNO, SNE)
Center Robert Thomas has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in a 10-game point streak for the Blues (29-27-6), who are three points behind the Flames for the second wild card in the West. The Kings (31-20-8) are third in the Pacific but have lost four straight (0-3-1) following a six-game point streak (5-0-1).
Games of the day
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Game #62: Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers Open Thread
The New York Rangers are back in the playoff picture…..for now.
While the Blueshirts were idle on Tuesday following a pair of wins over the Predators and Islanders on Sunday and Monday, results around the league fell in such a way that Peter Laviolette’s squad holds the second wild card spot entering play on Wednesday. To maintain their grasp on that spot, the Blueshirts will need to defend home ice against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals tonight.
It feels the the turn of the previous decade once again as Alex Ovechkin is scoring goals at a torrid pace and the Capitals are the class of the Eastern Conference while the Rangers hang around the playoff bubble, but it is indeed 2025. Ovechkin currently stands 11 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, and the Rangers are hoping to keep it that way tonight while holding the entirety of the Capitals’ offense at bay. Chris Kreider remains out and injured, while Reilly Smith remains out and soon to be traded. It’ll be the same lineup as Monday for the Blueshirts.
Player to Watch: Zac Jones
The final game before Friday’s trade deadline could very well be Zac Jones’ final game as a Ranger. The once-sparsely used defenseman will play a rare fourth consecutive game tonight as injuries and trades have jumbled up the Blueshirts defense corps as of late. Jones skated a season-high 22:15 of time on ice against Nashville on Sunday, and followed that up by notching an assist in 19:14 of ice time on Monday.
Jones has been vocal about his earlier lack of playing time, so whether the recent surge has been Laviolette granting Jones’ request or showcasing him to other teams for a potential deal remains to be seen. Regardless, keep an eye on Jones tonight in what could be the last time he pulls on a Rangers sweater.
Enjoy the game!
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Spencer Carbery expects to make line changes against Rangers, Charlie Lindgren to start for Capitals
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The Washington Capitals will wrap up their season series against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night. Washington has won both prior meetings with their Metropolitan Division rivals by a combined 12-7 score.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery shared pregame that, outside of Charlie Lindgren getting the nod in net, he expects to go with the same personnel that beat the Ottawa Senators on Monday. However, Carbery does anticipate moving around his line combinations.
“Chuckie will start. Everything else will be the same,” Carbery said. “There will be some lines moved around but everybody else will be the same.”
The Capitals prevailed 5-4 over the Senators in a shootout, snapping a season-long three-game losing streak. Despite the win, Carbery wasn’t thrilled with his team’s performance, likely leading to the changes he anticipates for Wednesday night.
“We’ll take the win because we’ve been reeling a little bit here at home,” Carbery said postgame. “Didn’t look good out there. Didn’t feel good at any point of the game, so we’ll look at a few things. We’ll take the two points.”
Washington was led by a combined seven points (3g, 4a) from their second line of Connor McMichael, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Tom Wilson. Logan Thompson made 33 stops during regulation and overtime and three more in the shootout.
Lindgren will take the reins from Thompson against New York. He lost his last start against the St. Louis Blues, making just 14 stops on 18 shots faced. He’ll make his first appearance against the Rangers this season and he is 2-1 with a 1.35 goals-against average, a .955 save percentage, and one shutout against them in his career.
The Capitals will see JT Miller for the first time as a member of the Rangers this season. Miller has 14 points (7g, 7a) in 11 games with New York since coming over from the Vancouver Canucks in a late January trade.
New York has won seven of their last 10 and moved back into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If the season were to end before puck drop, the two teams would be first-round opponents, repeating their series from last year.
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