Caps Take Quick Trip to Manhattan

February 4 vs. New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden
Time: 7 p.m.
TV:NBCSW
Radio:Capitals Radio 24/7, 106.7 FAN
Washington Capitals 6-1-3
New York Rangers 3-4-2

After a successful six-game homestand (4-1-1), the Caps take to the road for the first time in two weeks, making a quick trip to Manhattan for a solo contest against the New York Rangers. This will be Washington's only scheduled one-game road trip of the season; the Caps return home after facing the Blueshirts. They'll host Philadelphia in a pair of games on Sunday and Tuesday.
The Caps are coming into Thursday's game on the heels of their lone regulation loss of the season to date, a 5-3 setback at the hands of the Boston Bruins on Monday night. Washington owned a 3-0 second-period lead in that game, and it led 3-1 at the outset of the third. But the Bruins scored five unanswered goals for the win, including four in the third when they owned a lopsided 25-6 advantage in shot attempts at 5-on-5.
The loss was Washington's first regulation setback in 10 games this season.
"I would rather stay on the attack," says Caps coach Peter Laviolette. "We talked about it going into the third period, and I don't think that we did that. We didn't press the game the way we did in the first period. And when you don't do that, you end up playing too much in your end. The opportunities that we gave up, they were point blank for different reasons. There were pieces of coverage that were missing, and that can't happen. But for me, if you're out there with the right mindset, you're not playing in your defensive zone as much."

After a pair of practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Caps get back into action against the Rangers. They played every other night during the course of their six-game homestand, and they can now catch their collective breath just a bit, as well as work on aspects of their game that require attention. Washington has two days without games on each side of their Thursday tilt with the Blueshirts.
Thursday's game marks the Caps' first trip to Manhattan in 11 months, since they lost a 6-5 overtime decision there on March 5 of last year. The Rangers' Mika Zibanejad scored five goals against the Caps in that contest.
"Obviously they have a lot of speed on their top lines," says Caps winger Garnet Hathaway of the Rangers. "They have a lot of speed especially. We haven't been on the road in a bit, so it's going to be interesting to see how we can set up our game plan and try to execute.
"You look back at when Zibanejad had five goals, the biggest thing is we lost that game. So we'll try to limit them to as little as possible chances-wise, and puck control and offensive zone time. If we do that and if we play with the speed we have, we will be more successful."
Washington's offense has been steady and productive, totaling three or more goals in nine of its first 10 games this season and each of its last eight. The Caps' power play is also rolling; it has clicked at least once in five straight games, doing so for the first time in just over four years (Jan. 15-23, 2017).
What the Caps would really like to do is get through a game without losing a player to injury. In addition to the ongoing absences of key players who are unavailable because of COVID protocol, the Caps lost several more regulars during the homestand.
Winger Conor Sheary was the latest casualty; he collided with Boston's Sean Kuraly late in Monday's game and left the game with a lower body injury. Sheary did not participate in either of Washington's practices since. The Caps are also still without center Lars Eller (upper body) and defenseman Justin Schultz (lower body), both of whom were injured last week against the New York Islanders.
"It is what it is," says Laviolette. "This is the hand that we're dealt right now. Losing the guys for 10 days, 14 days and even the repercussions from that - of not being able to be on the ice and practice - is not ideal for a lineup, or ideal for our or team or for their game. The injuries that have happened, and two centermen being out of the lineup, it is what it is. We've got to win games. We've got to show up and compete and get the job done. And a lot of guys have stepped up and played really well, and we have been able to get points."

The Rangers are off to a rugged start but are 2-0-1 in their last three games. Most recently, the Blueshirts claimed a 3-1 victory over Pittsburgh at MSG on Monday night.
After they host the Caps on Thursday, the Rangers will have some unscheduled time off. They were slated to visit the Devils in Newark on Saturday, but that game has postponed because the New Jersey club is dealing with some COVID issues.
When last season came to an abrupt halt because of the pandemic, Zibanejad had one of the hottest sticks on the planet. He scored in each of New York's last six games, totaling 11 goals and 13 points in that stretch and he had 23 goals and 36 points in 22 games following the All-Star break in 2019-20.
But the New York center is off to a slow start this season with just a goal and an assist in nine games. Zibanejad is pointless in his last six games coming into Thursday's contest with the Caps.
On the plus side of the coin, Rangers rookie defenseman K'Andre Miller is off to a swift start in the first nine games of his NHL career with a goal and four points. His plus-6 goal differential at even strength is tops on the team; he has been on the ice for 11 goals for in nine games while averaging 17:29 a night.
Miller was a first-round pick (22nd overall) for the Rangers in the 2018 NHL Draft.