Adversity is an important factor for any team looking to succeed in the NHL.
The Rangers haven't been in the race all season, but they lost three straight for the first time with Peter Laviolette off the bench.
You can always blame injuries and other lineup situations, but Mika Zibanejad's presence in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Blues probably didn't help the outcome.
The Rangers found themselves in trouble, having the puck turned over and being bitten by an odd man rush. His puck luck wasn't very good either.
The once-immense Metropolitan Division lead had shrunk to three points heading into Saturday's puck drop against the Capitals.
All of these games ended in a four-goal difference, with the Rangers winning 5-1 in their most recent meeting on December 27th.
Since then, Washington has only won two of the seven games the Capitals have played.
They continued to strive to get back on level throughout November, but have fallen to the bottom of the table with a minus-26 goal difference.
They are one of the worst teams in the NHL right now.
Alex Ovechkin leads the club with 26 points and ranks 30th overall in goals scored.
His lethal impact on the power play has diminished this season.
The Caps rank 28th in power play efficiency, with Ovechkin's office in the top left circle converting eight of 107 chances.
What's worse is how strongly Washington struggled in 5-on-5 play. In the past 10 games, they are evenly matched and are minus-21. The Rangers potted four against them in the final go-around.
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The Rangers weren't textbook standard even at 5-on-5, but they did collect a lot of dangerous points, all to no avail.
The brightest star in this game is Vincent Trocheck, who shines on the line alongside Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere.
Trocheck has scored eight points in the past four games, giving the line a total of 18 points.
It was only a matter of time before the Caps' age started to show on the ice.
The Rangers are in a great position to take advantage of that effort. This game comes at the perfect time in their schedule.
choose: Rangers -1.5 (+150, BetMGM)
