If They Can Make It There...

The old Frank Sinatra song seems especially apropos to tonight's Caps visit to the home-standing New York Rangers because they have a chance to sweep the season series for the first time in franchise history. Only twice in the Caps' previous 33 years of existence (1999-2000, when they were 3-0-0-1; and 2002-03, when they went 2-0-1-1) did the Caps go through a season without suffering a loss to the Blueshirts.

Overall, the Caps lead the all-time series 85-74-19-4 (36-43-9-1 at Madison Square Garden) and have won five in a row in the series, matching their longest winning streak in history against the Rangers. Bruce Boudreau is 5-0-0 against the Rangers in his head coaching career (Tampa, 7-0-0, is the only other Eastern Conference team that he is undefeated against).

The Caps are 12-12-3 on the road this season, with 14 games left (including tonight's) away from Verizon Center. (The next two come this weekend at Tampa Saturday night and Florida on Sunday.) After a slow start, the red, white and blue are 7-3-1 in its last 11 road games. The Caps still enjoy a 12-point lead in the Southeast Division over the Panthers (with one game in hand).

The Blueshirts, meanwhile, have lost their last five games (0-4-1), scored just five goals during that stretch and have been shut out three of their past seven contests. They're 7-9-3 in their last 19 games and now reside third in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

The Caps' power play has ridden its hot streak, ranking third in the league with a 23.6 percent success rate and fifth for road power-play (21.8). Mike Green, who has a chance to tie the NHL record for defensemen tonight by scoring in his seventh straight game, has led the charge with 14 power play goals (second in the NHL). Green's 19 goals ranks third on the Caps, 43rd among NHL skaters and tops among defenseman (by five over Sheldon Souray and Shea Weber).

And let us not forget Alex Ovechkin, who has 23 goals and 34 points in his last 26 games (including seven two-goal outputs).

The Rangers have the league's top home penalty kill (87.8 percent) but are an embarrassing 15.1 percent on the power play at Madison Square Garden. But, they've only surrendered one goal on the power play in their last three home games (11-of-12, 91.7 percent) and tallied 13 power play goals in their last 12 meetings against the Caps (13-of-53, 24.5 percent).

UPDATE: Jay Beagle, 23, has been recalled from Hershey to play tonight, meaning Alex Semin most likely will not dress. Beagle has two goals and three assists this year for the Bears. It's certainly an interesting choice.