Capitals vs Rangers

WASHINGTON -- There will be no changes to either lineup for Game 7 at Verizon Center between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. Both Capitals coach Adam Oates and Rangers coach John Tortorella are sticking with the same forward lines and defense combinations from Game 6.

The Capitals are confident having Game 7 in their own building, where they are 3-0 in this series and 10-1 against the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since Game 5 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates said there may be one change to his lineup for Game 7 Monday night at Verizon Center, but he did not disclose what it would be.

"We're waiting to see," Oates said.

However, Oates did confirm that injured forwards Brooks Laich and Martin Erat will not play. He also said Mike Green, who was roughed up in the scrum after the final buzzer in Game 6 Sunday, is fine.

The Capitals are confident having Game 7 in their own building, where they are 3-0 in this series and 10-1 against the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since Game 5 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

"We're going to talk about trying to control our emotions," Oates said. "It's our building, our crowd, it's going to be exciting and you know what, you've gotta be able to try and take that energy in and just control yourself."

WASHINGTON -- New York Rangers coach John Tortorella is fond of saying home-ice advantage doesn't mean anything unless you get to a Game 7.

Well, the Rangers are in another Game 7 against the Washington Capitals, only this time it's on the road at Verizon Center on Monday (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN, RDS2), where they lost Game 7 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

So how does Tortorella feel now?

"I think there is an advantage to the home team," he said Monday morning, "but quite honestly we're the visiting team and we really don't care."

NEW YORK -- In the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals' evened-up Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Capitals hold a slim 12-11 scoring advantage in what has been the closest series so far of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Two games have ended overtime and most contests have been decided by the slightest of bounces.

Heading into Game 7 Monday night in Washington, that likely means that one player's bad bounce could mean the difference between advancing to the second round and going home for the summer.

That was the case in Sunday's Game 6, as Derick Brassard's point shot deflected off the glove of Capitals rookie Steve Oleksy and into the Capitals’ net. That one bad bounce would be the deciding play in New York's 1-0 victory.

NEW YORK -- Chris Kreider is back in the New York Rangers lineup to replace injured forward Ryane Clowe for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The Washington Capitals lead the best-of-7 series, 3-2, and can advance to the conference semifinals for a third straight season with a win Sunday.

Kreider played in Game 1 of the series against the Washington Capitals but has been a healthy scratch since. He had five goals in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season.

NEW YORK -- Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates revealed on Sunday that he would not be making any changes to his lineup heading into Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the New York Rangers.

Sporting mostly the same lineup that has given the team a 3-2 series lead, Oates acknowledged that the Capitals' chances of closing out this opening-round series could hinge on the opening moments in front of what figures to be a raucous Madison Square Garden crowd.

"Obviously it's their building. They're going to feel good in front of their home crowd. We need a good start to get into the game," Oates said. "We expect them to come hard. We just need to handle all the decisions you need to make early to get into the game. We can't give them any more ammo."

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The New York Rangers likely will be missing three players when they face the Washington Capitals in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday at Madison Square Garden (4:30 p.m. ET, CNBC, TSN).

Forwards Ryane Clowe and Darroll Powe, each out with an undisclosed injury believed to be related to a concussion, did not practice Saturday and no update was provided on their status from the team. Clowe was injured in the first period of Game 5 Saturday and did not return. Powe has missed the past two games after leaving in the first period of Game 3.

Defenseman Marc Staal (right eye) practiced for the second straight day but told NHL.com nothing has changed in his status and he remains day-to-day because of the vision problems he is having.

WASHINGTON -- New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal returned to practice Friday morning in advance of Game 5 against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN, RDS2) but is not playing for the second straight game.

Staal also missed Game 4 on Wednesday after returning to action in Game 3 following an absence of 29 games. Staal didn't want to go into details about what is holding him back and instead said he simply isn't fit to play right now because of his right eye injury, which occurred March 5 in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

"I'll wake up [Saturday] and go at it again," Staal said. "With this thing, the way I've been dealing with it is I wake up in the morning and take it from there. I couldn't speculate one way or the other."

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Prospect Tom Wilson is making his NHL debut for the Washington Capitals Friday in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the New York Rangers (NBCSN, TSN, RDS2).

The Capitals' first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2012 NHL Draft was recalled Thursday from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League and is skating on Washington's fourth line alongside Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle in Game 5.

WASHINGTON -- Washington Capitals Adam Oates admitted prior to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Friday night that he's "worried" about how his team will be at the start of the game.

He pointed to the starts each team had as being a difference between the Capitals winning Games 1 and 2 at Verizon Center and losing to the New York Rangers in Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden.