New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals Live Stream: Preview, Prediction and Where to Watch for Wednesday's NHL Playoff Game

By Peter Martin | May 09 2012 2:48 PM

After a wild and crazy game five which saw the New York Rangers tie the game with 6.6 seconds left to play before winning less than two minutes into overtime to grab a 3-2 series lead over the Washington Capitals.

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The Rangers celebrate after scoring the overtime winner in game five. The Rangers take on the Capitals at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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The Capitals now face elimination on their home ice in game six of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series. But, if the Rangers win they will punch their ticket for the Conference Finals for the first time since 1997.

For Washington, it is going to take a mental effort to get over the result from Monday's game five. The Caps were mere seconds from a 3-2 series lead with a home game to close it out when the Rangers scored twice in less than two minutes of game time.

That kind of a loss can shock a team and take them off their game. But if Dale Hunter, Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the leadership on the Capitals can rally their teammates then this will still be a series.

To do that, Washington will need more from their $10 million man. Ovechkin was held without a shot for only the second time in 47 career playoff games. Though his ability to score at will seems to have dried up this year, Ovechkin is still a potent offensive force and needs to make an impact to keep his team alive.

For the Rangers they need to find a way to keep scoring. They struggled all year with an offense and powerplay that would disappear from time to time, and right now they are just barely scoring enough. Nine of the twelve games they have played in the playoffs have been decided by just one goal.

Rookie Chris Kreider has two goals and two assists in the playoffs for New York and has provided a scoring spark for the Rangers. They would also like to get some help from Marian Gaborik who has largely been a phantom for New York.

Where to watch: The game can be viewed online at FirstRowSports. It will also be broadcast nationally on the NBC Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Prediction: The Rangers were the top team in the East for most of the season for a reason. They have too much talent, and too skilled a goaltender for them not to be. Look for the Rangers to take this game and deliver the mouthwatering Rangers - Devils conference final to hockey fans.

Predicted Score: New York over Washington 3-2 in overtime.