NHL's Best Matchup: Caps and Rangers or Sean Avery and Chloë Sevigny?

The New York Rangers could upset the Washington Capitals in the best NHL Eastern Conference matchup, The Canadian Press claims, but the Page Six of the New York Post reported on a different matchup for Rangers' star Sean Avery and the actress/fashion impresario Chloe Sevigny.

The New York Rangers' showdown with Alex Ovechkin and the free-wheeling Washington Capitals should be the feature series in the opening round of playoffs in the NHL's Eastern Conference, according to The Canadian Press. 

Sean Avery and Chloe Sevigny, attended co-owner Paul Sevigny's impromptu "Free Beatrice" party on the top floor of the Cooper Square Hotel Friday night, according to the Post.

It was Avery's birthday and he had just set up the winning goal in the Rangers game against that Philadelphia Flyers that clinched a playoff spot for his team in New York.

The Beatrice Inn was padlocked by the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement and had a vacate order. The Inn had to add some fire fighting equipment before reopening.

Beatrice regulars including Sean Avery and Chloë Sevigny partied at the Cooper Square Hotel’s “Free Beatrice” bash, according to the Post.

Sevigny is an Academy Award-nominated actress and former model known for her fashion career and films including American Psycho and Boys Don't Cry and the HBO TV series, Big Love.

She started her career when Sassy Magazine asked her to intern. Jay McInerney wrote a seven-page article about her for The New Yorker, in which he dubbed her the new "it-girl".

She had small roles in Demonlover (2002), Party Monster (2003), Dogville (2003), The Brown Bunny (2003), and is currently filming My Son, My Son, What Have You Done.

Sean Avery was an intern at Vogue, was guest editor of Men's Vogue, appeared as "Killer" Dill in the The Rocket, is in a Gap ad, there's a movie in the works about his work at Vogue, called Puckface, and he has expressed an interest in launching a line of sporty clothing.

Meanwhile, the Hockey News has dubbed the Rangers the Cinderella team of the Eastern Conference but asks "Could you really fall in love with the underdog Rangers?" adding "Sean Avery doesn't exactly make us feel all warm and fuzzy."

The Hockey News also wondered if John Tortorella will keep up his calm, rational, media-friendly persona that he has adopted in New York or if he will snap "and stick a pen in some reporters' neck after blowing a third period lead in Game Three", adding "I kinda hope it's the latter."

The Hockey News noted the Caps have the second best power play but the Rangers have the best penalty killing record. They gave the edge to the Caps forwards, with Alex Ovechkin, but said "The Sean Avery sideshow and its impact will be a sub-plot to watch."

The New York Times Jeff Z. Klein says there is hope for the Rangers going into their opening-round series against the high-powered Capitals and it's the Rangers’ record in the 18 games since they picked up Nik Antropov, Derek Morris, and Sean Avery, which he says is quite good.

"The Rangers won 10 in regulation and 1 more in a shootout while losing 1 in a shootout and 6 more in regulation. That 10-1-1-6 record works out to a very respectable .611 winning percentage," Klein reports.

He gave the Rangers' +/- stats for the season, showing Ryan Callahan leading with +6, followed by Scott Gomez at +5, and Sean Avery at +4.

The Sun Media also gave the edge to Ovechkin and the Caps. Lance Hornby, Writing in the Winnipeg Sun, claimed, "mention Sean Avery's potential for shift-disturbing antics in the coming series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers and watch the smile quickly drain from both men's faces", referring to Ovechkin and Caps' coach Bruce Boudreau.