Bruins vs Red Wings

The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers will meet again in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this time in the 2015 Eastern Conference Second Round.

Washington defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in Game 7 at Verizon Center on Monday to win its first-round series.

The Capitals and Rangers will open the second round at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports). The Rangers are guaranteed to start every playoff series on home ice because they won the Presidents' Trophy with 113 points.

New York advanced with a five-game, first-round win against the Pittsburgh Penguins; the Rangers defeated the Penguins 2-1 in overtime in Game 5 at the Garden on Friday.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- New York Rangers left wing Carl Hagelin wears the distinction of being a defensive-minded player proudly even if he doesn't believe it tells the story of who he is and what he's capable of doing.

"I still think people know I put up decent numbers without playing a second on the [power play], but yeah, probably defensive guy is right, and it's fine," Hagelin said Monday. "I know what I'm made of and I know what I have done offensively in this League while playing a defensive role. I'm confident I can do a lot of damage offensively."

He's again using the Stanley Cup Playoffs as his proving ground.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- New York Rangers right wing Mats Zuccarello is being listed by the team as out indefinitely with an upper-body injury and is not expected to be ready to open the Eastern Conference Second Round series later this week against either the New York Islanders or Washington Capitals.

Zuccarello was hit in the left side of the head by defenseman Ryan McDonagh's slap shot late in the first period of Game 5 of the first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins this past Friday. He left the game with 3:58 remaining in the first period and did not return.

"It's a tough play to watch for sure," McDonagh said. "You see him take it off the head, that's a scary play."

On the plus side, defenseman Kevin Klein said he is 100 percent and ready to play in Game 1 of the second round. Klein hasn't played since March 11 because of a broken left arm.

"It's been a while," Klein said. "When you're injured you're not really around the team as much as you'd like. You watch the guys out there battling. I just want to be out there and I can't wait to be."