Charlie Lindgren's push to get the Washington Capitals into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and what they have to do to pull the upset and defeat the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference First Round are two topics that are part of the discussion on this week's episode of the "NHL @TheRink" podcast.
Co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke are joined by NHL.com staff writer Tom Gulitti, who is based in Washington and covers the Capitals regularly.
Gulitti praises the goalie's ability to help will Washington into the playoffs, particularly by starting its final six games and winning four, including 2-0 against the Boston Bruins on Monday and 2-1 at the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
Gulitti also talks about the Capitals need to play low-event, low-scoring games against the Rangers to have a chance. He cites Washington's 20-2-11 record in one-goal games and their 12-24 mark in games decided by at least three goals as evidence.
Rosen, Roarke and Gulitti also go around the NHL, touching on the four Eastern Conference playoff matchups that are set, talking about the teams that could pull the upset and why.
They discuss concerns they have for the struggling Colorado Avalanche, 1-3-1 in their past five games, and why the Winnipeg Jets are the worst possible first-round matchup for them.
Will the Edmonton Oilers win against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round if that matchup materializes? Are the Dallas Stars the favorite in the Western Conference, and maybe the entire League?
Those questions and more are also part of the conversation between Rosen, Roarke and Gulitti.
In addition, Rosen and Roarke discuss the Buffalo Sabres firing Don Granato as coach and where they should go from here, with Roarke bringing a new name into the conversation as a potential Granato replacement.
They also talk about the potential for coaching vacancies in New Jersey and Ottawa, and what makes those jobs exciting.
Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury's new one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, forward Cutter Gauthier's NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks and the fortunes of the San Jose Sharks are also brought up at the end of the episode.
The "NHL @TheRink"podcast is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.
