NHL Playoffs 2012: New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators Game 7 Preview

The last Game 7 played in Madison Square Garden ended with the New York Rangers lifting the Stanley Cup. The Rangers will be hoping for a similar result tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Everything clicked in Game 6 for the Rangers. The return of Carl Hagelin was just the boost the team needed, as he played 14 minutes and had two shots. Top prospect Chris Kreider looked good as well, as he scored his first career NHL goal, which turned out to be the difference in the game.

Meanwhile, Hendrik Lundqvist, a Vezina Trophy finalist, has looked just as advertised, allowing three or less goals in each of the six previous games.

The Rangers' recipe of success all season long has included a solid forecheck combined with numerous blocked shots. The Rangers were fourth in the NHL in blocked shots this season. Overall, the team plays better when they are pressuring their opponents and keeping the puck out of the defensive zone.

On the flip side, the ship seems to be sinking for the Ottawa Senators.

Goaltender Craig Anderson has never won a playoff series in his 10-year career. And in Game 6, Daniel Alfredsson completely lost his cool after he was hit cleanly by Rangers forward John Mitchell. He was seen slamming his stick down several times and then stomped on it. Alfredsson later apologized for his actions.

In addition, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek were benched for a portion of the third period that included an entire power play. Spezza, while not thrilled, was understanding: "If there was a message, it was received. We're looking forward to playing Game 7 and playing real well."

The key for the Senators is the production of two players. One is Anderson, who looks like a different goaltender than he was during the regular season. He, like Lundqvist, has looked like a Vezina Trophy finalist in these playoffs. The Senators' defense, too, has been great, allowing just 12 goals in the six games. Not bad for a team that allowed approximately three goals per game during the regular season.

The second player who will need to step up is obvious.

Erik Karlsson has gone from the NHL's top scoring defenseman to the NHL's best disappearing act during the playoffs. Karlsson had 78 points during the regular season—five more than the 73 points combined put up by the Rangers' top two scoring defensemen, Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto. Karlsson should be shooting early and often tonight. 

In conclusion, the Rangers appear to be trending up while the Senators are trending down.

Despite Ottawa's solid play thus far, I don't expect this game to be close at all. The New York Rangers and the raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden will just be too much to handle for an overachieving Senators team. Expect a result similar to Game 1 of this series. The Rangers will win this game 4-1.

The Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers will drop the puck at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and can be seen on the NBC Sports Network.