Washington Capitals: Top 3 key players to watch against Rangers

#1 John Carlson

Go Johnny go! John Carlson will be the top player to watch tonight against the Rangers. Carlson scored a power play goal on Monday against the Bruins which extended his point streak to seven games with three goals and six assists. Carlson is two games shy of his career record which came in his hot October where he had a nine game point streak.

Carlson ranks fourth among NHL defensemen in points with 11 this season in games played through Feb. 2. He recently passed Dale Hunter (375) for the fifth most assists in franchise history and now sits at 380 assists. He’s 12 assists shy of Mike Gartner (392) for the fourth most assists in team history.

Carlson is also five goals shy of passing both Mike Green and Calle Johansson (113) for the third most goals in franchise history by a defenseman. Last season, Carlson set personal highs for points (15 goals, 60 assists) and assists in a season, leading all NHL defensemen in both respective categories. His 60 assists were one shy of tying the franchise record for most by a defensemen in a single season (Scott Stevens, 1988-89, 61 assists). Carlson’s 75 points were six shy of the record set by Larry Murphy in 1986-87 with 81 points.

Those are our top 3 players to watch tonight. Who are yours? Let us know in the comments!