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2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Metropolitan Division Finals

By Tim Redinger

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It is a red, white, and blue event in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs as far as the Metropolitan Division is concerned.  Tonight the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers  face-off in the first game of the best of seven series.

With round two set to get underway, the Eastern Conference match-ups create quite the spectrum of travel.  Tampa Bay will play the Montreal Canadiens, and have quite the travel between home sets.  Washington and New York aren’t that far in relation.

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For the New York Rangers, I thought they would need seven games to dispatch the Pittsburgh Penguins, or that the Penguins would get the jump on the Rangers quickly.  It was the Rangers with the quick jump, and while I picked the right team on the stat line – it didn’t take the New York Rangers at all long to get rid of Sidney Crosby and company and sending them packing.

Part of me was really hoping for a Crosby vs Alex Ovechkin second round; my heart told me that the Washington Capitals in five games, but something told me that the New York Islanders weren’t going to put the Nassau Coliseum down without a fight, and I figured the Islanders would get rid of the Capitals, turns out one hell of a series.  It wasn’t in the cards for the Coliseum and the Islanders though.

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So I am really tore here, I wouldn’t mind seeing a team from New York (being from New York myself) have a good shot at the Stanley Cup, but I am still stuck on the fact that I think Alex Ovechkin should have a solid chance at lifting the Stanley Cup.

The New York Rangers are a better team than the New York Islanders, and the Capitals struggled in the first round at times.  The second round is a different series – so struggles in the first round shouldn’t be too much of a concern in the second round.

For the New York Rangers, they need to be careful.  They came so close last season, but they can get too far ahead of themselves, if they have only one thing on their minds – retribution for last seasons Stanley Cup loss – they could get bit by that short sighted behavior.

Stat line pick – New York Rangers in six games.  New York has something to prove and is going to want another chance at the Cup – nothing will stand in their way.

Heart line pick – Washington Capitals in five games.  The Capitals have it together right now, and they are going to get stronger as the playoffs progress.  I am hoping for Ovi to at least have the chance to win the Stanley Cup.  It has been since the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals to check for the last time the Caps have been out of the second round – does this years team have what it take?

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