It is time for another Game 7 and this one ends the second round of the NHL Playoffs. Adam Henrique ended Round 1 in style with a game winner in extra time so will it happen again in Round 2? Statistics show that 26% of Game 7’s end up going into overtime so the possibilties given that this year seems to be the year of the overtime would not be surprising. What is kind of shocking is that the “blocked shot” has been the scourge of vernacular lately. People often forget that during the “dead puck era”, shot blocking statistics were not kept very well. I can tell you this. The 1996 Florida Panthers blocked enough shots to make these two teams jealous. Simply, the best way to stop this sort of thing is spread the game out but both the Capitals and Rangers play too close to the vest right now for that to happen.
There is something we decided to do that had not been done in some time. Yes we broke out the old video console and figured it would be nice to do something a little retro. Here is the return of the sims!
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NHL 12 — Game 7 Rangers Vs. Capitals
It had to return for a Game 7 and between former Patrick Division foes, this simulation just had to come as these always have fantasy purposes along with fun prognostication. We played a total of seven games and this is what we came up with for our prediction. Again keep in mind, this may not happen obviously.
Capitals @ Rangers Game 7
1st Period
None
2nd Period
NYR – Marian Gaborik (5:25, Richards and Del Zotto)
3rd Period
WSH – Alex Ovechkin (15:45, Backstrom and Green)
Overtime
NYR – Brian Boyle (2:55, Prust)
Team Stats:
Shots
NYR- 42, WSH- 28
Power Plays
NYR- 0/2, WSH- 0/2
Final: Rangers 2 Capitals 1 (OT)
3 Stars:
1. Gaborik; 2. Holtby; 3. Lundqvist
The game is just hours away and if it approaches anything like the sims, it will be an awfully good one.
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SCHEDULE TIME:
Saturday, May 12, 2012 |
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| Teams | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | at | NY Rangers | 7:30 PM | ||
There is no need for a gameday for this one. The two teams know each other well enough by now. They have played six games already and have fought tooth and nail. They have scored almost an identical amount of goals (NYR – 13 Wash – 12). The two teams have blocked so many shots that they have media wishing someone would stop it. Even the goaltending has been fairly similar as well and the team that scores first usually wins with these two. The surprises are over, the game plans can be thrown out, and it really comes down to one thing. Heart! Who has the most and who wants to go home the least?
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KEEP AN EYE ON:
Oh who are we kidding, if you take a look at the two goalies and see how they play, well you know the drill. Honestly it still seems that Henrik Lundqvist is playing deeper in his crease again which means (we won’t say it). and Braden Holtby has become more and more aggressive (especially in Game 6). The key will be who can get the defenders moving the best because Washington did that well in the first 40 minutes of Game 6. It seems neither team actually can pull off a 60 minute effort which explains why the scores are so close. Even when it looks like a team pulls away, they are yanked right back in. That is the nature of this series. Prosperity now just does not last.
What is going to happen in this one? Honestly the netminders will steal the show and the shooters will become increasingly frustrated. I do believe Alex Ovechkin will break through for the Capitals again but only after a goal by Marian Gaborik. Then there will be the typical clutch goal by an unexpected Ranger, say Carl Hagelin. Add in an empty netter by Brad Richards and there would seemingly be your game at 3-1.
However, the playoffs have been anything but normal and people will remember how close the Rangers are to being on the golf course. Could that happen again? Its a possibility. Needless to say, for fantasy poolies more players will be lost after this one and oddly enough if the Rangers do lose, that will hurt most pools over a Capitals loss.
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Thanks again for reading and enjoy that Game 7……..do not forget our wrap show later tonight on Blog Talk Radio.
