Stan Fischler On Rangers Cup Chances After taking the first two games of their First Round series, the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/latest-news/fischler-what-it-was-like-to-coach-against-a-teenaged-matt-rempe-he-just-ran-over-guys] face the Washington Capitals as the series shifts to the DMV. Puck drop from CapitalOne Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. MORNING SKATE UPDATES: Igor Shesterkin will be in net for Game 3 on Friday (36-17-2, 2.58 GAA, .913 SV%). Shesterkin earned the win with 22 saves on 25 shots on Tuesday. In regular season play against the Capitals, he is 8-4-0 with a 2.59 GAA and .916 SV%. The Rangers have one probable lineup change for Friday's game. Alex Wennberg missed practice on Thursday due to maintenance, and Filip Chytil took his place on the third line. Head coach Peter Laviolette did not elaborate on Wennberg's status, but Chytil will make the trip regardless. Charlie Lindgren will start Game Three for the Capitals after dropping both games in the Big Apple (25-16-7, 2.67 GAA, .911 SV%). He took the loss on Sunday with 24 saves on 28 shots. In three regular-season starts against the Rangers this season, he is 2-1-0 with a 1.35 GAA and .955 SV%. Washington will have one player to monitor ahead of the game, as forward Sonny Milano missed practice on Thursday, also due to maintenance. While Milano said he would be good to go, Michael Sgarbossa would take his place if something changes However, one lineup change for the Capitals is confirmed. The Hockey News' Sammi Silber [https://x.com/sammisilber/status/1783510891935220069] reported that Ivan Miroshnichenko took line rushes on the fourth line, taking Nicolas Aube-Kubel's spot. GAME 2 RECAP: Washington came out strong in the second game, with Connor McMichael breaking the ice just past the five-minute mark of the first period. However, the Rangers tallied two goals before intermission, with Vincent Trochek and Mika Zibanejad lighting the lamp. Dylan Strome tied the game on the power play early in the second, but New York again responded with two-straight goals from Jack Roslovic and K'Andre Miller. Tom Wilson attempted to start a comeback just before the 12-minute mark of the third period, but that was as close as they could get, with Shesterkin standing tall to close out a 4-3 win. PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alexis Lafreniere has assists in each of the first two games of the series; the forward has three assists, including a pair in Tuesday's game, and has a goal and three assists in his last three games overall. Trochek has also contributed offensively in each game of the series, tallying a goal and assist in Game 2 in addition to an assist in the opener. Chris Kreider has a goal and assists in the first two games of the series, extending his overall point streak to four games with a red light and four helpers in that span. Zibanejad's hot play to end the season has carried over into the playoffs. Including the regular season, he has points in eight straight games, totaling three goals and eight assists in that span. His hot play also extends to his career against Washington, boasting 18 goals and 34 points in regular season play; Artemi Panarin leads the team with 21 helpers against them. Tom Wilson had a two-point game on Tuesday, tallying a goal and an assist. Another assist could make him the 22nd Capital to record 20 helpers in his playoff career. A pair of Washington forwards recorded playoff firsts in Tuesday's game. McMichael's goal was the first of his Stanley Cup Playoff career, while Hendrix Lapierre recorded his first postseason assist on Wilson's red light. Despite not tallying a shot on goal in their opener, Alex Ovechkin is still a candidate to score against the Rangers. He leads the team in lifetime goals and points against New York with 42 and 67, respectively. Carlson leads the active Washington roster in assists with 32 against the Rangers. NEW YORK RANGERS PROJECTED LINES: Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Jack Roslovic Artemi Panarin -- Vincent Trocheck -- Alexis Lafreniere Will Cuylle -- Alex Wennberg -- Kaapo Kakko Jimmy Vesey -- Barclay Goodrow -- Matt Rempe Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox K'Andre Miller -- Braden Schneider Erik Gustafsson -- Jacob Trouba Igor Shesterkin Jonathan Quick WASHINGTON CAPITALS PROJECTED LINES: Alex Ovechkin -- Connor McMichael -- T.J. Oshie Aliaksei Protas -- Dylan Strome -- Tom Wilson Max Pacioretty -- Hendrix Lapierre -- Sonny Milano Beck Malenstyn -- Nic Dowd -- Ivan Miroshnichenko Martin Fehervary -- John Carlson Alex Alexeyev -- Dylan McIlrath Trevor van Riemsdyk -- Lucas Johansen Charlie Lindgren Darcy Kuemper HOW TO WATCH: Game 3 will air locally on MSG; nationally, the game is available on TNT and TruTV. On the radio, the contest will be broadcasted on 98.7 FM ESPN.
