It’s always fun to watch the New York Rangers and Capitals play because we get to witness one of the greatest matchups in history.
This will be the 13th year New York Rangers’ Henrik Lundqvist and Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin get to battle each other in one of the greatest sniper/goalie battles of all-time.
Both Lundqvist and Ovechkin broke into the league in the 2005-06 season and found success right out of the gate. Ovechkin would score 106 points in his rookie year and Lundqvist would go on to win 30 games that season. Both players would continue that success and are known as some of the greatest players to ever play at their respective position.
With Lundqvist and Ovechkin playing in the Eastern Conference, they have faced off against each other several times in their career, including the postseason. The two have seen each other in the playoffs five times with Lundqvist coming out on top in that matchup, winning three out of the five.
One of the most memorable matchups between Ovechkin and Lundqvist was in the 2014-15 season when Washington had a 3-1 series lead over the Rangers in the second round. In that series, Ovechkin was able to score three goals but it wasn’t enough to stop Lundqvist and the Rangers. Lundqvist posted a 1.46 goals against average and a .946 save percentage in that series.
That 2014-15 series is one of the most memorable series for Ranger fans, as they saw their team claw back from a 3-1 series hole to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. For Washington, it was another year of getting eliminated in the second round of the playoffs and another year of disappointment in the Ovechkin era.
Although Lundqvist has the success in the playoffs against Ovechkin, Ovi dominates the Rangers in the regular season. In 48 games against the Rangers, Ovechkin has scored 29 goals. He always steps his game up against the Blueshirts and it looks like that will be the case once again.
Both Lundqvist and Ovechkin have yet to get that elusive Stanley Cup, but their greatness goes beyond that. Both are generational talents that a fan only dreams of getting to witness. With Lundqvist at the age of 35 and Ovechkin at 32, who knows how much longer we will be able to enjoy this battle with both players on top of their game.
For now, let’s just enjoy it.
