In the first Game 7 of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, the Capitals will host the Islanders at Verizon Center. The puck drops Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN in the first Game 7 between Washington and New York in nearly three decades. The winner will move on to the second round to take on the Rangers, who defeated the Penguins in five games to advance.
The Islanders will try to advance to the second round of the postseason for the first time since the 1992-93 season.
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To avoid elimination, the Capitals must overcome past postseason disappointments and a poor Game 7 history at home. They are 3-9 overall and 2-7 at home in Game 7 appearances, going just 1-4 at home since 2008.
Key players
Alex Ovechkin, Capitals: Despite an unimpressive performance in Game 6, the Capitals forward is due for a bounce-back game. A key component to Washington's power play, the physical captain is not to be underestimated.
John Tavares, Islanders: The Islanders center found forward Nikolay Kulemin for the game-winning goal in Game 6 after being checked into the boards by Ovechkin. He boasts two goals and three assists in the series.
Quotable
"Winning is hard," Ovechkin said, via NHL.com. "It's not going to be easy. It's going to be a seventh game Monday and it's going to be fun. I think our fans are going to give us very good confidence."
''It's been good,'' Capitals forward Joel Ward said, via The Associated Press. ''A traditional series, regardless of who you're playing, is going to be like that. You're going to get some hits, you're going to get some feistiness, you're going to get some whacks. That's what happens when you play the same (team) over and over, you're going to have a little hatred. It's coming down to one game, so we're excited.''
Game 7 Flashback
Washington and New York share a history that dates back to the "Easter Epic," the longest Game 7 in Stanley Cup playoffs history. On April 18, 1987, the Islanders defeated the Capitals 3-2 in quadruple overtime after Islanders star center Pat LaFontaine scored the winning goal. The game ended 6 hours and 18 minutes after the initial face-off in the early hours of Easter Sunday at 1:58 a.m. ET.
How they got here
Game 1: Islanders 4, Capitals 1
Game 2: Capitals 4, Islanders 3
Game 3: Islanders 2, Capitals 1
Game 4: Capitals 2, Islanders 1
Game 5: Capitals 5, Islanders 1
Game 6: Islanders 3, Capitals 1