NHL Playoffs 2012: 5 Most Important Players for the Capitals in Round 2

The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers kick off the Eastern Conference semifinals this afternoon at 3 p.m. EST on NBC. With each team coming out of series that went the full seven games, there is little time to rest or pat themselves on the back.

The two teams split their four regular-season meetings, with each team winning once on the other's home ice. The first round placed a premium on goal scoring for both of these teams while each goaltender was tested often. The Rangers have some pedigree between their pipes with Vezina candidate Henrik Lundqvist, while the Capitals threw rookie Braden Holtby into the playoff fire.

Holtby outplayed 2011 Conn Smythe-winner Tim Thomas in Round 1, with some help from the the Capitals' "defense first" philosophy.

Taking over the Caps after a slow start, coach Dale Hunter has brought the previously high-flying Capitals back to earth with a commitment to defense. While there were some grumblings in the locker room, and some pushback from some star players, the results are indisputable.

The Rangers will be looking to avenge their 2011 first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Capitals. Last year, however, the Capitals wore the badge—or burden—of the top seed, defeating the Rangers four games to one.

It will be interesting to see if the burden of that top seed will affect the Rangers in this round. Ottawa pushed them further than most people thought before bowing out in Game 7.

The Capitals-Bruins series lacked significant goal scoring from any of the Capitals' traditional stars. With more penalty minutes than points for the top five scorers, the Capitals need to give their rookie goaltender some breathing room if they expect to advance.

Here are the five most important players for the Capitals in Round 2.

Mike Green

Mike Green is getting enough ice time to make you believe that he is 100 percent healthy, but he has been a shell of the offensive player he used to be.

One could argue that Green has matured and has become more defensively accountable. His plus-5 rating in the opening round would suggest that Green is less inclined to leave his team vulnerable with an ill-timed rush up the ice or a dangerous clearing pass.

A goal and an assist in the first-round series hardly seem like the daunting numbers that Green used to put up. However, being one of the team leaders in ice time and plus/minus are the stats that his coach would probably be the proudest of.

This series will be interesting to see if this is the new and improved Mike Green.

Marcus Johansson

Marcus Johansson's second year in the NHL saw him finish third on the team in scoring with 46 points. Johansson was forced to take a larger role this season with the injuries to Nick Backstrom. Centering the first or second line, Johansson stepped into Backstrom's role as a facilitator.

His three points against the Bruins in Round 1 hardly warrant Conn Smythe consideration, but goals were certainly hard to come by in this series.

With the Capitals' big three of Ovechkin, Semin and Backstrom getting healthy and getting their timing back, Johansson can add more scoring punch. He gives the Capitals another scoring threat in the middle and has been solid in the faceoff circle as well.

Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin is probably tired of hearing that he is fat and out of shape or questions asking him why he isn't scoring 50 goals and 100 points.

I thought that maybe that his offensive collapse coincided with Sidney Crosby's concussions. However, his statistics after last year's Winter Classic exceeded those of his first half.

At any rate, Ovechkin has set career lows in points and assists this season.

His well-documented benching and reduced ice time in the playoffs will either fire him up or shut him down. Dale Hunter is doing the equivalent of calling out Ovechkin without plastering his name all over the newspapers.

With Crosby out of the playoffs early for the second year in a row, Ovie needs to add some sort of playoff success to his resume. Crosby has him trumped in every other team category, so this year could be now-or-never for Ovechkin's Capitals.

Nicklas Backstrom

Nick Backstrom was putting up more than a point per game before a cheap headshot prematurely ended his regular season.

Backstrom has come back from his concussion and appears to be uncharacteristically feisty. The normally calm and reserved Swede led the Capitals in penalty minutes in the first round, drew a one-game suspension and was even seen swapping leather facewashes with Bruin tough guy Milan Lucic.

I'm sure part of Dale Hunter loved to see that fire from Backstrom, but he knows that the Capitals need their No. 1 center on the ice. Backstrom will be expected to provide more offense this round, as the Capitals will be happy to not see Zdeno Chara on their opponents' blue line.

The Rangers are no slouches on defense, but there will be more room to skate without a seven-foot Bruin chasing them around.

Braden Holtby

Braden Holtby was the story of the first round for the Capitals and he may have to be in the second, third and beyond for the Caps to win. Goals have not come easy for the Capitals, but their defending has been top-notch.

As the playoffs continue and Holtby gets more comfortable, his confidence will grow.

The defensive mindset that Hunter has brought to the team has benefited Holtby, as the Capitals seemed to smother Boston at times in the first round. Boston piled up a lot of shots on Holtby, but a large chunk of those were from an unobstructed distance.

Not to take anything away from Holtby, he has been spectacular at times. The Caps' commitment to defense has certainly helped the young netminder find his comfort zone a little faster. While it isn't unheard of for a rookie goalie to lead his team to the Stanley Cup finals, it's a lot to ask—especially considering Holtby's NHL experience prior to the playoffs was 21 games.

The Capitals need to score more than two goals a game if they expect to win this series. The Rangers have Vezina candidate Henrik Lundqvist in net, but he has proven to be mortal in the playoffs.

I expect a long, hard-fought series between the two. I think that home ice will be a non-factor and the Capitals will win this series in another seventh-game thriller.

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