The Washington Capitals will look for a 2-0 series lead in their first-round 2011 NHL Playoffs series against the New York Rangers Friday night at 7:30 in the Verizon Center. A win would give Washington a commanding lead once the two teams switch venues for Game 3 on Sunday.
Washington won Game 1 of the series on Wednesday night in a gritty overtime thriller. The game was scoreless until the Rangers took a 1-0 lead early in the third period. The Capitals eventually tied it up when Alex Ovechkin jammed home a rebound on the goal doorstep with just a few minutes remaining, and after a tight overtime period, they took advantage of a Rangers turnover to get a game-winning goal from Alexander Semin. The slap shot goal was Semin's first in 14 playoff games.
The Capitals will need to continue to put traffic in front of Henrik Lundqvist if they want to win this one. The Rangers, meanwhile, will need to generate more offense.
For more on the series, check out our series hub, as well as SB Nation's Capitals blog Japers Rink.