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N.Y. Rangers vs. Washington Capitals Game 1 NHL Playoff Pick

Its NHL Playoff betting time once again. The New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals is on tap Wednesday night. Both will be trying to pick up a win with the line opening with Washington as a -175 favorite in this matchup. The over/under is set at 5, here is the handicapping preview…

2011 NHL Hockey Free Playoff Predictions: Rangers vs Capitals

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NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2011 Game One
Wednesday April 13, 2011 – 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Broadcast: TSN
New York Rangers at Washington Capitals
Betting Lines From Bodog.com:
Money Line: Washington – 175
Over/Under: 5
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After registering just a single playoff series win together over the past few years, the pressure will be on the tandem of head coach Bruce Boudreau and his superstar forward Alex Ovechkin to finally get the job done and put together an extended run. The Washington Capitals will still argue that the pressure of last year’s elimination at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens in a series that they led three-games-to-one but couldn’t close out won’t be a burden. Whether or not that is true is another story.

The Capitals almost suffered the same fate at the hands of the New York Rangers the year before when they battled back to beat them in seven games for their opening round series. Washington couldn’t solve New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist, and when the offense stalled they were left vulnerable at their own end. The Capitals eventually solved Lundqvist to win that series, but this Rangers’ team has a little more firepower. Marian Gaborik and Wojtek Wolski have struggled to find their scoring touch, and their contributions will be crucial to New York’s chances of getting out of the opening round.

Those two Rangers’ snipers could get going against a Washington defense that is missing its top two defenders in Dennis Wideman and Tom Poti for game one. Factor that in with the return of Mike Green after being sidelined for the past couple of months, and yu have a Capitals’ defense core that is looking shaky. That doesn’t bode well for a Washington team that will have to make up for their lack of depth at the back end with offense after watching them struggle at various points throughout the year. Ovechkin didn’t have a single goal in four games against the Rangers this season, and Alex Semin looked awful in last year’s playoffs against the Habs.

Still, Washington is talented and determined enough to avoid a second consecutive upset at the hands of an eighth seed. But will they be ready to handle the pressure-packed atmosphere at home for game one against a Rangers’ team that has played the past two weeks as though the playoffs had already started? New York will come out strong on the road and take the opener with Gaborik coming alive in the postseason.

Pick: Rangers

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