NHL Betting: Rangers vs. Capitals Game 6

That’s nothing new for either team as all but two of their 19 combined playoffs games have been decided by exactly one goal. +1.5 puck line, anyone? 

Game 6 is pivotal as the Capitals are down a game in the series and need a win to stay alive. Game 5 was another kick-in-the-gut loss for them as they blew a 2-1 lead with 6.6 seconds left in the third period and then lost in overtime.

The Caps can hang their hats on the fact that they’ve done a lot of things very well in this series but, at the end of the day, they’re not in the position they want to be and they need to find a way to win two straight.

Hockey odds makers have designated this contest as pick 'em.  The total is holding at 5.\

The New York Rangers can win because... 

They’re finally playing the way they want to play. Sure, they've survived by the skin of their teeth, but very few Stanley Cup champions don’t have a squeaker on their resume. 

In Game 5, the Rangers outshot the Capitals 38-18, outhit them 29-14 and won 57% of the face-offs. Those are all great signs heading into Game 6. 

The Rangers are getting good production out of their key offensive weapons, and that’s crucial. Brad Richards scored the game-tying goal in Game 5 and now has five points in the series. Marian Gaborik has also been a difference-maker, collecting five points in the series as well. 

The Caps are going to be a bit rattled in Game 6 – there’s no question about it. Game 3 was different since a fair-and-square triple-overtime game was always going to be a coin flip. But Game 5 was all theirs for the taking. Just 6.6 seconds away from having a 3-2 series lead with a chance to close it out at home. Those types of losses sting and linger, and any type of hangover could cost the Caps the series. 

While the Caps might be a little downtrodden after the loss, for the Rangers, this is the type of win that lights the fire inside that might urge them to close out the series in Game 6. 

The Washington Capitals can win because… 

They have not lost consecutive games all playoffs long (5-0). As a matter of fact, they haven’t lost back-to-back games since March 22^nd/23^rd. Rookie goaltender Braden Holtby has gone 28 career starts in the NHL without losing back-to-back starts, and he’ll put that on the line in Game 6. 

This Capitals team has already shown that they can rebound from devastating losses as they bounced back with a win in Game 4 after losing in triple-overtime in Game 3. They’ve been there, done that. 

The bottom line is that Washington doesn’t really have to change much. Head coach Dale Hunter will be telling his team that they did everything correctly, but really just caught a bad break at the end of the game. Had Holtby got to the puck a half-second before Richards or had Richards’ shot bounced the other way off the post, the Caps would have the lead. 

They were outshot, outplayed and outhustled in Game 5, yet still were in position to win. A slight improvement on their part and they’ll force a Game 7. 

Outlook & NHL betting prediction: 

The common assumption is that the Capitals will do as they have all postseason long: bounce back after a loss. For some reason – maybe more of just a hunch on my part – I think the Rangers end this in six games. 

Everyone knows the Capitals are a resilient bunch, but blowing a lead with six seconds left has a tendency to mess with teams psychologically. Had they come back and won in overtime, bygones would be bygones, but as it stands, it’s hard to wash away that feeling, knowing that they were so close. 

On the other side, these types of wins tend to fire teams up and tighten the bonds in a playoff run. The Rangers learned their lesson after blowing the advantages they reaped from a triple-overtime win in Game 3, and this time they’ll play sharper after their big win. Play the Rangers in your NHL picks as they finish of the Caps in 6.

NHL Picks: Rangers  ---