Capitals at Rangers
Rick Nash told the New York Daily News the New York Rangers "don't want to be that team that clinches a playoff spot and sits back." After falling flat in their first game since securing a postseason berth, the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers look to avoid a third loss in four games when they host the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. Nash scored to reach the 40-goal plateau for the third time in his career but saw his team drop a lackluster 4-2 decision to Boston on Saturday.
Henrik Lundqvist yielded four goals on 30 shots in his first start since Feb. 2 due to a vascular injury, and coach Alain Vigneault confirmed that Cam Talbot would get the nod versus the Capitals. Like New York, Washington also dug itself a sizable deficit before dropping a 4-3 decision to Nashville on Saturday afternoon. Braden Holtby yielded three goals on 13 shots before being relieved in the second period and also surrendered three tallies by Nash in the Rangers' 4-2 victory over the Capitals on Dec. 23.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, NHLN, TVA, CSN-DC (Washington), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (40-25-10): With its second loss in six games, Washington saw its lead over Boston in the race for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference dip to three points. Troy Brouwer ended a 12-game drought by scoring twice versus the Predators to reach the 20-goal plateau for the third time in his career. Captain Alex Ovechkin has been held off the scoresheet in four of his last five contests but did net his team's lone goal in 3-1 setback to New York on March 11 and has 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists) in 37 career meetings with the Rangers.
ABOUT THE RANGERS (47-20-7): Nash's goal on Saturday snapped an eight-game drought and was his third in 16 contests, with an empty-net tally included in mix. "I care about wins, that's it," Nash said after being reminded that he resides one goal shy of tying his career high - set with Columbus in 2003-04. Sunday's contest will see the return of Talbot, who posted a 16-4-3 record with a 2.16 goals-against average in Lundqvist's absence - a stretch that also included a 28-save performance versus the Capitals.
OVERTIME
1. With 101 points, New York trails Anaheim (103), Nashville (102) and Montreal (102) in the race for the Presidents' Trophy - but has three, two and two games in hand, respectively.
2. The Capitals are 0-for-11 on the power play in their last four contests but converted once in each of the first two meetings with the Rangers.
3. New York LW Tanner Glass was fined $3,897.85 - the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement - for butt-ending Boston D Adam McQuaid on Saturday.