Around the NHL: Rangers Continue to Slide

Tonight in the Eastern Conference playoff race, there were two games on the schedule that affected the Caps' first round playoff opponent.
In the first game, the Thrashers knocked off the Rangers by a final score of 3-0 in front of the Madison Square Garden faithful.
Ondrej Pavelec was incredible in the shutout victory, and Eric Boulton scored a goal for the visitors.  The result of this game puts the ball in the Hurricanes' court in terms of the playoffs: if Carolina wins their next two in overtime or regulation (not a shootout), then the Rangers go home.  That would put Carolina most likely in the eighth seed, which could mean a matchup with a red-hot team and even worse, a red-hot and goaltender.
In the second game, the Senators beat the Canadiens 3-2 in overtime at Scotiabank place.  The Habs took the lead in the second period only to relinquish it early in the third, and then the Sens scored with just over two minutes left in the game and looked like they would skate out with two points.  But Mike Cammalleri tied the game inside the last minute before Filip Kuba won the game in overtime. Craig Anderson picked up the win in the Ottawa cage, and Alex Auld gave Carey Price the night off for the Habs.  The point that the Canadiens earned keeps them likely to hold on to the six seed, away from the Capitals.  Realistically, the three teams DC has to worry about in the first round at this point are the Hurricanes, Rangers, and Sabres.

The Caps had today off.  They will return to the ice tomorrow morning for practice at 9 AM.