5 Reasons the Washington Capitals Can Beat the New York Rangers in Round 2

Heading into the second-round playoff series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, Alain Vigneault's team was deservedly the favorite.

But as it did down the stretch during Round 1 against the Islanders, head coach Barry Trotz's team took Game 1 in New York on Thursday by persevering and coming up with clutch plays at critical moments.

The Rangers dispatched the Penguins in just five games, and while every game was relatively close, Washington arguably provided the top-seeded Eastern Conference club with its first wire-to-wire battle of the postseason.

At the moment, the Rangers should be viewed as at least a co-favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final, but don't count the Caps out.

Here are five reasons why Alex Ovechkin and company can upset the Rangers.

5. Special Teams

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The Capitals boasted the best power-play unit in the league during the regular season, but that trend didn't continue during Round 1.

Against the Islanders, Washington capitalized just twice on 13 opportunities with the man advantage, and the team's chances at toppling the Rangers will be much better if the power play's clicking at 20 percent or higher.

In Game 1, Ovechkin's power-play strike in the first period changed the momentum of the tilt, as it came at the end of a period in which the Caps had been dominated and ultimately outshot 12-7.

In addition, killing penalties was one of Washington's strong points in Round 1. On Thursday, that trend continued, as the team improved to a perfect 16-of-16 on the penalty kill this postseason.

4. Continued Secondary Scoring

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As I wrote last week after Game 3 of the Capitals' first-round matchup, Washington's offense was not going to succeed against the Islanders if Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom were the only players putting points on the board.

While the two continued to play pivotal roles from that point forward, contributions from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Joel Ward, Karl Alzner and Jason Chimera were the difference against the Isles.

Game 1 at Madison Square Garden was no different, as Ward redeemed himself after hitting the post with a game-winning tally just before the third-period horn.

New York has more than a considerable amount of depth up front, but Washington's ability to get production from all four lines could prove to be a significant factor in this series.

3. More of the Same from Ovechkin

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This one's obvious because teams simply don't go very far in the playoffs if their best players aren't producing. 

During Round 1, Ovechkin did everything that was needed to get the Caps over the hump, but Trotz knows he'll need more offensively from his captain than the two goals and five points he put up against the Islanders.

Well, he got it in Game 1 on Thursday. Ovechkin was a game-changer, figuring in on both Washington goals in spectacular fashion.

His aforementioned power-play goal was a thing of beauty, but his no-look pass to Ward for the buzzer-beater was a testament to the more complete player the superstar winger has become. 

If he continues to torment the Rangers defense like this, an upset may not be all that unrealistic.

2. Holtby Matching King Henrik

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In Game 1, Holtby authored one of the better goaltending performances in Capitals postseason history, stopping 31 of 32 shots en route to an all-important road victory.

But beyond the .969 save percentage, what made the former fourth-rounder's showing so impressive was his ability to weather the storm early against New York.

Just before eight minutes had passed in the first period, the Rangers had outshot the Caps 8-1, and Holtby kept his team in the game—as he's done all season.

However, at the other end of the rink sits Henrik Lundqvist, and in order to win this series, Holtby will have to be every bit as good as the former Vezina Trophy winner.

During New York's conference quarterfinal series against the Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding, but Lundqvist was just as solid. Holtby needs to be even better than that.

1. Blocked Shots, Faceoffs and Physical Play

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Unlike previous editions of the Capitals, Trotz's squad plays a surprisingly suffocating style that centers upon a collective commitment in the defensive zone.

According to NHL.com, Washington leads all playoff teams in faceoff percentage, blocked shots and hits thus far, and that's been critical to limiting two of the Eastern Conference's most balanced offenses through eight games.

Defenseman Brooks Orpik's 41 hits are indicative of the former Stanley Cup champion's impact on his new club, but his team's total of 345 also shows how much more physical the Caps have become.

Washington's postseason-leading 86 giveaways is a troubling stat, but against a fast team like the Rangers, winning draws, competing physically and blocking shots could very well decide this series.