Breaking down potential Capitals round one opponents
The Washington Capitals will need to win out in New York beginning tonight against the New York Islanders. Tomorrow night they take on the Rangers in what could very well be a round one preview. If they lose out and the Pittsburgh Penguins win tomorrow night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they will play the President’s Trophy winning Florida Panthers.
You never want to wish to play a particular opponent. And both teams are tough matchups. But it’s also the Stanley Cup playoffs. A time where anything can happen. The Caps hope the hockey gods will be in their favor and get the bounces they need no matter who they face.
Although the Caps will start the postseason on the road, they’ve played well all season away from Capital One Arena. With a. 25-8-6 record, they have the highest road points percentage in the NHL at .718.
Over the last five seasons, that’s the second highest road points percentage in a season, only behind the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning (.756). Washington’s 3.54 goals per road game ranks fourth in the NHL, while their 2.74 allowed goals per game is the fifth lowest in the NHL.
Now let’s break down the potential Caps first round opponents one by one beginning with the Florida Panthers.
Florida Panthers
The Washington Capitals could take the Florida Panthers in round one if they lock up the second wild card spot. The Panthers are 57-17-6 with 120 points, the top record and points in the NHL earning them the Presidents Trophy.
Folks we know all too well what happened when the Caps won the Presidents Trophy and if they draw the Panthers in round one, they’ll be the underdogs this time.
Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Panthers with 115 points and 85(!) assists to go along with 30 goals. Aleksander Barkov leads the Panthers in goals with 39 while adding 49 assists for 88 points.
Sergei Bobrovsky is their goaltender who’s 39-7-3 with a 2.67 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. That’s good but the Caps also know how to beat Bobrovsky in the playoffs, having done so in the first round of 2018. In 41 career playoff games, Bobrovsky is 13-23 with a 3.24 goals against average and a .899 save percentage.
The fact that Bobrovsky has yet to prove himself at this stage is one of the few encouraging signs for the Caps in a possible upset. Another is that the Caps have a much more physical edge against a high flying offensive team. As long as they play their game and don’t get too caught up in their speed, the Caps should be fine.
New York Rangers
If the Washington Capitals don’t face the Florida Panthers, they could face their Metropolitan Division foes the New York Rangers. They sit at second place in the division at 51-24-6 for 108 points.
The Caps lost two out of three to the Panthers with one of those contests being in overtime. Both occurred on the road. The Caps are 1-1-0 against the Rangers winning 5-1 on opening night at Capital One Arena and falling 4-1 in February at Madison Square Garden. The teams will face off one more time in the regular season tomorrow night.
Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with 74 assists and 96 points to go along with 22 goals. Mika Zibanejad has 29 goals and 52 assists for 81 points. Chris Kreider has 52 goals along with 25 assists for 77 points. Ryan Reaves has just five goals and eight assists for 13 points.
Igor Shesterkin has gotten most of the starts in goal posting a 36-13-4 record with a 2.07 goals against average and a .935 save percentage. Alexander Georgiev is 14-10-2 with a 2.95 goals against average and a .896 save percentage.
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Which opponent would you want to see the Caps play in round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs? The Florida Panthers or New York Rangers? Sound off in the comments your wishes and worries.