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WASHINGTON -- With the playoffs underway and the subterfuge already in full swing, injured Rangers forward Brian Boyle revealed very little after skating with the team Thursday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury April 16.

Boyle seemed encouraged by the morning's skate but didn't offer up much more regarding his potential return to the lineup.

"I felt good," he said.

Any idea of a timeline?

"I felt good," he answered. "It was positive."

Boyle did concede, sort of, that he is hopeful to return to the lineup at some point during this series vs. Washington.

"Playoffs. I want to be out there as quick as I can. It felt good, so that's all I really know," he said. "I don't have any idea how it's supposed to work. I'm trying to feel as good as I can as fast as I can."

Boyle was similarly noncommittal when asked whether he would require medical clearance before he can resume playing.

"We've got a whole staff of medical guys," Boyle said. "Again, I'm not a doctor."

Boyle also declined to answer whether he has skated prior to Thursday on his own.

• • •

Injured defenseman Marc Staal was a bit more forthcoming about his progress; Staal has not played since being struck in the eye with a puck on March 5.

The 26-year-old said he doesn't want to risk coming back until he is confident he can make a positive impact, especially considering the heightened pressure this time of year.

"When I feel like I'm going to be able to help the team win and be successful, I'll get back on the ice," Staal said. "Hopefully that's sooner rather than later."

How will he know?

"As soon as I'm not second-guessing myself or hesitating, or [once] I do things I normally do becomes automatic again is when I can jump into a playoff-type game," Staal said.

Staal praised the work of the Rangers' defensive corps in his absence and said he doesn't want to "compromise" that by returning prematurely. He admitted that the situation might be different if this was a regular-season scenario, but that it makes no sense to take the risk with critical playoff games on the line.

"If it were Game 10 maybe I'd jump out there for a few shifts," he said. "But right now the stakes are too high."

• • • Derek Dorsett (collarbone) skated with the team in a white non-contact jersey. Ryane Clowe (believed to be concussion) made the trip to D.C. with the team but did not skate.

At a glance: After four days off to rest and prepare, the No. 6-seed Rangers and No. 3-seed Capitals finally square off in Washington, D.C., for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Thursday night at Verizon Center. With plenty of time to stew over last spring’s postseason exit -- the Rangers bounced the Capitals in the semifinals -- Washington seeks revenge. The two clubs meet in the playoffs for the third consecutive year with plenty of storylines and intrigue to consider.

Great No. 8: After a slow start to the season, in part because of his transition to right wing, Alex Ovechkin finished the season at a startling pace as he led the Caps to yet another Southeast Division title. With a sensational six weeks, beginning in mid-March, Ovechkin was lights-out for the Capitals. Earning his third Rocket Richard trophy, Ovechkin finished the season with 32 goals and 56 points, including a stunning 14 goals and 22 points in 13 games during the month of April. Who is going to contain him? The top pair of Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh seems the obvious choice, though coach John Tortorella hinted that he may split the two defensemen to achieve more balance on the back end.

Battle in nets: One of the key X-factors will be the play of Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Though the Caps appear to be the team peaking at the right time with eight wins in their last 10 games, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner is fully capable of stealing a game and changing the complexion of the series. Lundqvist enters the playoffs with a 24-16-3 record, .926 save percentage and 2.05 goals against average. He also recorded a shutout in Saturday’s 4-0 win against the Devils, his 14th consecutive start. Braden Holtby is the young up-and-comer, but he’s got two rounds of playoff experience under his belt now after last season. The 23-year-old is coming off a fine regular season of his own, including wins in nine of his last 10 starts.

Special teams: Rangers winger Rick Nash was asked the key to the series on Wednesday. His answer? Special teams. Here’s why: The Caps enter the post-season with the best power-play in the league, ranking first overall with a whopping 44 man-up goals and a dazzling 26.8% success rate. By contrast, the Rangers rank 23rd in the league at 15.7% and were blanked on all six power-play opportunities in their season finale against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Whether they can break through against the Caps will be a big question mark; the Caps’ penalty kill is one of the league’s worst; Washington ranks 27th with only a 77.9% kill rate.

Ward returns: Sidelined for the past nine games since suffering a knee injury earlier this month, Washington’s Joel Ward returns for the Capitals Thursday night. The 32-year-old forward, who has 10 goals and 22 points in 32 career playoff games, adds another scoring threat to Washington’s high-octane offense. Ward scored the series-clinching game-winner in overtime of Game 7 to knock off the Boston Bruins in Round 1 last April.

Staal unlikely: Though he has been practicing with the team for weeks, Marc Staal said he is “probably” not going to play in Game 1. The 26-year-old defenseman has not played since being struck in the right eye with a puck March 5, but appears to be inching toward a return. Though he is not expected to be in the lineup Thursday, it is possible that Staal will be available later in the series.

Here's a "Next Level" look inside the matchup that will likely determine the outcome of the New York Rangers-Washington Capitals series.


The image above shows Capitals star Alex Ovechkin's scoring strengths.

Ovechkin scored 18 of his 32 goals to the stick side of the goaltender this season. Of those 18 stick side goals, 13 were below the blocker.

But keep this in mind: Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was tough to beat low to the stick side, allowing only 9 goals low stick this season, his fewest in any zone.

Lundqvist's weakness was glove-side, high shots, which interestingly is an area in which Ovechkin does not score a lot.

The image below shows the areas in which Lundqvist allows the most/least goals.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Since being acquired by the Rangers in a blockbuster trade with Columbus last summer, Rick Nash has performed as advertised.

A dynamic forward who possesses that rare combination of size, speed and skill. One who can change the nature of a team’s lineup or change the complexion of an entire game. A player who creates a nightmare matchup for an opposing team.

But even though Nash has an impressive list of individual accomplishments -- an Olympic gold medal, numerous All-Star nods and an incredible run of nine straight 20-goal seasons -- Nash is missing one critical element that could define his legacy as a top player in the league: playoff success.

The former first overall pick in 2002, who spent the previous nine seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, has made only one appearance in the playoffs. He has yet to win a single game.

His only taste of postseason action to date? A first-round series against the Detroit Red Wings in 2009, in which his Blue Jackets were swept and easily dispatched.

With four years since his last chance at making a postseason impact, consider Nash ready to rise to the challenge.

"We’ll find out," Nash said of embracing the pressure of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. "It’s something all the great athletes have done. It’s time to step up now."

His postseason experience has been so limited that it took Nash a long time to answer when asked what he could draw from that disappointing initiation in 2009.

"Um, I don’t know," Nash said before a long pause. "It wasn’t the way we wanted it to go. It was a quick series, but getting a little taste of the energy, the excitement and what to expect, it’s nice to have that stuff under my belt."

Nash isn’t a stranger to the big stage, though. A member of the gold-medal-winning Canadian team in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Nash has donned the Maple Leaf on his sweater enough in international competition to understand the type of pressure that comes with it.

"Any time you suit up for Hockey Canada, it’s on a huge stage, which is the same kind of feeling here," he said. "There’s a lot of pressure here to win; it’s a good feeling. It’s fun. This is when hockey counts, and it’s the same thing as when you play at the Olympics and stuff like that."

If Nash’s transition from a small-market locale like Columbus to the bright lights of Broadway is any indication, he is well-equipped to handle the scrutiny that comes with his star billing.

The 28-year-old led the team with 21 goals and finished second in scoring with 42 points in his debut season for the Rangers, and coach John Tortorella has never wasted an opportunity to extol his talents.

"He’s a game-breaker," Tortorella said. "It’s not just one particular thing. The way he handles himself in the room, handles himself off the ice, all the situations he’s been put in and has succeeded in. It’s a deal you do 10 times over, because you just don’t get that type of player that often."

Derek Dorsett, acquired in another Rangers trade with the Blue Jackets at the deadline this April, has played with Nash since 2008. Given what he’s seen him do on a nightly basis, Dorsett is confident he’ll be an important contributor come playoff time.

"Any time you play with a player like that, you sit back and kind of just watch and try to just learn," said Dorsett, who’s recovering from a fractured collarbone. "He’s a humble guy, [he] just goes about his business, but [after] playing with him for four or five years, it’s [still] amazing how big he is, how well he can move off the walls and how quick and explosive and powerful he can be."

Nash seems to grasp that this is an important series, not just for the team but himself as a player.

Nervous?

Not quite.

"Excitement’s a better word for it," he said. "Just looking forward to getting started and being a part of this."

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Pre-empting the crowd of reporters surrounding his dressing room stall, Marc Staal assured them he had no new information about his injured right eye.

And although Staal did not definitively rule himself out, he said he will "probably" not play in Game 1 of the team's first-round series against the Capitals in D.C. on Thursday.

"I'm not going to ... I'm probably not going to play tomorrow," said Staal, who has been sidelined since being struck in the eye with a puck March 5.

Staal continues to practice with the team in hopes of returning soon. The 26-year-old defenseman missed almost half of last season with a concussion.

"There are good and bad days," he said. "So, [I] keep taking it day by day and hope it keeps getting better."

• • • Ryane Clowe, whose undisclosed injury is believed to be a concussion, and Brian Boyle (lower body) did not practice with the team Wednesday

Derek Dorsett (shoulder) practiced in a yellow noncontact jersey.

• • •

With four days to rest, recover and prepare in between their regular-season finale against the Devils on Saturday and Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Thursday, the Rangers have had their most significant amount of practice time thus far during the lockout-shortened season.

A good thing in some ways, though coach John Tortorella senses his team is getting restless.

"They're sick of practicing," Tortorella said. "We're not used to it, especially this year. You're playing every other day. Even the coaches ... we're just used to playing. This is the time of year you should be playing. Again, I'm not complaining, it's just a lot of time."

So much time, in fact, that Tortorella decided to wrap things up early Wednesday. Both Monday and Tuesday the team practiced for double sessions, with the second session devoted to special teams.

We're not privy to the NHL's marketing slogan for the 2013-14 season, but it might be something like "Go Big or Go Home, but Definitely Go Outdoors."

Of course, if you read much of the negative commentary surrounding the NHL's decision to multiply its successful outdoor game model like so many bunnies next season -- with six in-the-elements events on the docket -- you'd think the league was determined to bring back the glowing puck and make all its players wear uniforms with blinking lights.

The NHL announced Wednesday the first plank in its ambitious stadium series of outdoor games for the 2013-14 season, a March 1 date at Soldier Field in Chicago between the Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, set for 8 p.m. ET.

Over the next week or so, the league will unveil its plans for two outdoor games during Super Bowl at Yankee Stadium involving all three New York-area teams; one at Dodger Stadium between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 25; and another installment of the Heritage Classic in Vancouver between the Canucks and the Ottawa Senators to be held the same weekend as the Soldier Field event.

These games are in addition to the previously announced Winter Classic to be held Jan. 1, 2014, in Ann Arbor, Mich., between Original Six rivals, the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When news first broke last month that the NHL was going to take its product outdoors for a total of six games next season, it was interesting to note the instant boo-hooing that arose, mostly from the media.

Oh, too many outdoor games.

Oh, it'll turn the Winter Classic into a cheap dime-store version of its former self.

Oh, it'll rain.

Oh, it'll be too hot.

Oh, the league just wants to make money.

Funny how it works, but the NHL has long been criticized -- and rightly so -- for being too timid, too parochial, too unwilling to seize the moment and work at becoming more than just a niche sport in the United States.

Outdoor games aren't a panacea for all that ails the NHL, but when the league does think outside the box, it is flayed in some quarters.

Yes, these outdoor games are financially successful. Is that a reason not to do more of them?

Funny how much of the criticism of the league has come from the media, and yet we haven't heard much carping from the fans themselves.

Are people in California upset with the opportunity to take in an evening of hockey at Dodger Stadium? Don't think so. And unless we are completely off base (get it, a baseball reference for this game?) the tickets to the first regular-season outdoor game on the West Coast will go in a heartbeat.

Assuming the event is well-received, it will also open the door to more outdoor opportunities in nontraditional markets.

Are the fans in the New York area -- where the NHL estimates there will be 1,000 accredited media members for the Super Bowl festivities leading up to the game in New Jersey on Feb. 2 -- barking at the fact that the New York Rangers will play the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils in twin games at Yankee Stadium?

Uh, no.

Think fans in Chicago will turn away from a chance to see their beloved Blackhawks and the Penguins at Soldier Field because they already hosted a Winter Classic in 2009?

That game between the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, the second Winter Classic ever, is considered by Chicago officials to be a seminal event in that team's renaissance after years of being the butt of jokes throughout the sporting world.

The 2013-14 season provides an interesting opportunity for the NHL to try to write itself back into the good news department after another potentially catastrophic labor stoppage scuttled almost half the 2012-13 season.

In a matter of weeks, the NHL will formalize its relationship with the Olympics and agree to take part in the Sochi Games in February.

Two of the outdoor games, including the Soldier Field game, will take place the first weekend after the end of the Olympics and should provide a terrific lead-in to the stretch run of the regular season and be a nice reminder that the NHL is back in business after being shut down for the Olympic break (something that not all owners agree is a good thing).

As for the notion that introducing other outdoor events to the NHL landscape somehow cheapens the Winter Classic, which has evolved into the NHL's most important regular-season date, the schedule of events surrounding the Winter Classic in Michigan promises to make it the most successful iteration yet.

Each year the Winter Classic has grown in scope, and the net it has cast around the hockey community has grown. The event next year involving the Red Wings, postponed this season because of the lockout, calls for multiple alumni games to be played at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit, along with games at various levels, including the major junior and college ranks.

NHL COO John Collins suggested in an interview that the Detroit Winter Classic will be the “granddaddy” of Winter Classics given the surrounding events, including those at Comerica Park, and the game itself at the Big House in Ann Arbor.

Whether it's been Boston or Philadelphia or Chicago, the Winter Classic games have captured the imagination of the local markets and become a touchstone for the casual fan, an elusive group the NHL has been courting for decades.

The fact that more fans than ever will be able to take part in these kinds of events next season can hardly diminish that dynamic.

"It's not just one lens you're looking at this through,” Collins told ESPN.com on the eve of the Soldier Field announcement. "You have to be at these events to understand how the game becomes a gathering point for a community, the way a community lights up around hockey."

"That local impact is incredibly powerful," Collins said.

Would the fans in California likely have a chance to take in a Winter Classic if the league stayed within some self-imposed limit of having one or two outdoor games a season? Not likely.

Is it important to return to big markets like Chicago, where the game continues to grow in importance? Absolutely.

But next season allows the NHL to broaden its appeal while still promoting its biggest markets, and its biggest stars, on the outdoor stage.

Are there risks with taking the NHL into the elements six times next season? Of course.

The league will purchase a new portable ice-making unit that will be used for the Dodger Stadium game, then transported up the coast to Vancouver for the Heritage Classic. But even as technology has evolved and given the league more opportunity to create pristine ice surfaces outdoors in different locales, there will always be concerns about the integrity of the game when you expose it to the natural elements.

Any time the league puts on one of these events, it courts disaster as it relates to how Mother Nature will react. It rained in Pittsburgh in 2011 and the Winter Classic had to be postponed a day.

There have been issues with sun and snow, and the potential for precipitation in Vancouver or in New York next season will always be there. But the league has contingency plans, and what might happen with the weather has become part of the fabric of the events themselves.

What happens moving forward will depend largely on how next season’s outdoor experiment works out.

"I think it’s fluid but we are working on a three-year plan," Collins said.

Added deputy commissioner Bill Daly, "Next year represents opportunities that aren't going to be there every year."

There is nothing to suggest the NHL will go outside five or six times every year, but if these events unfold as planned, you can bet the number of teams clamoring to host an outdoor game will only increase.

In the end, is that such a bad thing?

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- There were times during the first half of this season that Rangers coach John Tortorella wondered if Derek Stepan was fit to handle the responsibilities of the team's second-line center.

Now?

The 22-year-old pivot is the unequivocal choice to center the team's top line between speedy winger Carl Hagelin and captain Ryan Callahan.

"He's a 22-year-old guy that I use in every freaking situation," Tortorella said of Stepan. "He has proven to all of us that he has taken a huge step this year."

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was voted the team's MVP of the regular season, but among forwards, Stepan has been the team's most dynamic and consistent performer.

The Rangers, and Stepan, hope that continues once the playoffs begin with a first-round matchup against the Capitals on Thursday.

"That's what we'd like to do, obviously," Stepan said. "The way we're playing as a team, we'd like to carry that over. As a team, we've gotten better. You can just see it. We control games more."

In his third year as a pro, Stepan finished the regular season strong with eight goals (including three game-winners), 19 points and a plus-14 rating in the month of April, good enough to earn him accolades as the NHL's third star.

The Rangers will need him to sustain a high level of production if they are to contend with a supremely talented cast of offensive players for the Capitals in Round 1 of the playoffs.

"I am totally confident that he's going to be able to handle the things going into this playoff series," Tortorella said.

Stepan finished with one goal and nine points in 20 playoff games for the Rangers last spring. He recorded four assists in the team's second-round series against the Capitals.

But this year he plays a decidedly more important role as the catalyst to the team's offense, which heads into the postseason with an improved 2.62 goals per game (15th, NHL) following a stretch in which the Rangers were ranked dead last.

Beyond his versatility -- Stepan kills penalties and plays up front on the team's first power-play unit -- his greatest asset may be that he makes those around him better.

Linemate Ryan Callahan is riding a seven-game points streak (five goals, six assists) heading into the playoffs, while Rick Nash (now on a line with Mats Zuccarello and Brad Richards) played some of his best hockey to date while flanking Stepan on the right.

"I definitely had a good month. I felt good going into games. I was playing with a good confidence level," Stepan said. "Whoever I was playing with, I seem to develop chemistry with quick and those guys seemed to help quite a bit wherever I was. When you build chemistry like that it, helps your game."

Despite his youth, Stepan is practically a grizzled vet in the sense that he is preparing to face the Capitals for the third consecutive postseason.

He'll draw upon that experience but he knows that, once playoffs come, it's hard to know what to expect.

"You've been through it now and you get that aspect of it, but every playoffs is gonna be new and it's gonna be exciting," Stepan said. "It's gonna have a different feel to it."

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- In matching up against the Washington Capitals for the third straight year, beginning Thursday night in D.C., the Rangers face a familiar foe with an understanding of what to expect in a series between the two clubs.

Four times in the past five years the Rangers and Caps have met in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Coaches, personnel and system structures have changed, but the enmity has not.

"It's always a battle," Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said. "It seems like it usually goes the length or close to it. I think we match up against each other pretty evenly."

Last April was a prime example, when the teams met in Round 2. The top-seeded Rangers prevailed, but it took seven grueling games to do it.

No game was more indicative of the grit, passion and intensity level that characterized that series than Game 3 -- a triple-OT match that went on well past midnight in a true war of attrition until Marian Gaborik's game-winner ended it after 114 minutes of play.

"That was a really hard-fought series and that game pretty much summed it up," said defenseman Dan Girardi, who logged 44:26 minutes on the Rangers' back end that night. "Overall, I just think it's going to be a really big battle. I think in front of both nets is gonna be key, what team can establish the forecheck and control the tempo there."

Girardi has drawn the unenviable task of matching up against Alex Ovechkin throughout the years, and that duty is not bound to get any easier with Ovechkin entering the postseason on a stunning clip.

Capturing the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal-scorer for the third time in his NHL career, Ovechkin finished the regular season at a scorching pace. Earning the NHL's first star of the month, Ovechkin notched 14 goals and 22 points in the month of April while leading his team to yet another Southeast Divison title.

No. 8 may have gotten off to a sluggish start, in part because of a transition from his natural wing, but he has since proven that he can still electrify and dominate a game.

"He's dynamic whatever side he's on," Girardi said. "He never really stays on one side for long… so we'll have our hands full with him. He's playing really well right now. We've got to be sharp against that line and their second, third, and fourth lines. They have four solid lines that can fore-check and score some goals. We're going to have to be very strong defensively."

The Rangers will likely have to do so without cornerstone defenseman Marc Staal, who has yet to play since suffering a frightening eye injury March 5.

Staal continued to practice with the team Monday, but does not appear to be nearing a return.

"I haven't written myself off, obviously," Staal said. "So far, every day I try to improve and get more work in and get more comfortable and confident with the puck in situations I'm going to be in on the ice."

With that gaping hole on their back end, the Rangers will have to rely on reigning Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist in net.

Though 23-year-old Braden Holtby has been impressive of late for the Caps, Lundqvist gives the Rangers a distinct edge in goal.

Lundqvist has plenty of experience playing against Washington in the playoffs, but this year's team is a decidedly new look than previous years, he said.

"It's the same team name but it's a different look, especially when I look at them over the last four, five years here," Lundqvist said. "It was all about offense, then all about defense, now it's in the middle. They're a team where you have to respect a lot of things about their game, especially their offensive, top guys."

Fortunately for the Rangers, they’ll have three full days to prepare for the new-look Caps under rookie head coach Adam Oates' direction. That's a luxury afforded them with an unusual schedule that doesn't have the teams meeting until Thursday for Game 1.

That would be a blessing for the Rangers, especially if it allowed injured players like Staal, Ryane Clowe and Brian Boyle to return to action, but none seem to be on the immediate horizon.

Plus, the series ends in unusual fashion with Games 6 and 7 slated to be played on back-to-back nights Sunday May 12 and Monday May 13.

The schedule won't make much difference, Girardi said. After all, both teams know what they're in for in Round 1.

"Both teams know each other really well and I think both teams are raring to get going," Girardi said. "I think we both wish we were starting earlier, but both teams will be ready come Thursday."

From the official NHL release:

OVECHKIN, ELLIOTT AND STEPAN NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ FOR APRIL


NEW YORK (April 29, 2013) – Washington Capitals right wing Alex Ovechkin, St. Louis Blues goaltender Brian Elliott and New York Rangers center Derek Stepan have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of April.

FIRST STAR – ALEX OVECHKIN, RW, WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Ovechkin led the League with 14 goals and 22 points in 13 games as the Capitals posted an 11-1-1 record en route to their fifth Southeast Division title in the last six years. He scored in nine of his 13 games, including four multi-goal efforts and his 12th career hat trick April 6 at Florida, and totaled eight multi-point performances. Ovechkin recorded his 30th goal of the season April 20 at Montreal, becoming the ninth player in League history to score 30 or more goals in each of his first eight seasons. His 32nd and final goal of the season came in his 600th NHL game April 25 vs. Winnipeg, giving him 371 for his career – the eighth-most by any player in League history through their first 600 games. Ovechkin’s 14 goals set an April record and spurred the 27-year-old Moscow native to his third Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, awarded to the League’s top goal-scorer. He played in all 48 games for the Capitals this season, finishing third in the NHL with 56 points and first with 16 power-play goals and 27 power-play points.

SECOND STAR – BRIAN ELLIOTT, G, ST. LOUIS BLUES

Elliott posted an 11-2-0 record, 1.28 goals-against average, .948 save percentage and three shutouts in 13 games to help the Blues secure the fourth seed in the Western Conference. He allowed one goal or fewer in 10 of his 13 appearances, including the final three games of the season, and posted three consecutive shutouts – all on the road – April 7 at Detroit, April 9 at Nashville and April 11 at Minnesota. Elliott’s 11 April wins established a Blues record (including the postseason) and his three straight shutouts equaled a franchise mark he tied last year (March 22-27).
The 28-year-old Newmarket, Ont., native played in 24 games this season, compiling a 14-8-1 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and .907 save percentage.

THIRD STAR – DEREK STEPAN, C, NEW YORK RANGERS

Stepan finished second among skaters with 19 points (8-11—19) and recorded a +14 rating in 14 games as the Rangers clinched their third consecutive playoff berth and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. He registered points in 12 of 14 his games, including seven multi-point efforts, and tallied three game-winning goals – April 1 vs. Winnipeg, April
21 vs. New Jersey and April 27 vs. New Jersey. The 22-year-old Hastings, Minn., native played in all 48 games for the Rangers this season and led the team in assists (26), points (44), plus/minus (+25) and game-winning goals (6).

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Forced from last night's playoff-clinching 4-3 OT win over the Hurricanes with an undisclosed injury, Rangers forward Ryane Clowe is not practicing with the team Friday.

The team hasn't given any indication about the nature or severity of Clowe's injury, but the 30-year-old winger had to be helped off the ice by two teammates -- obviously, not a good sign.

The fact that the Rangers recalled Kris Newbury from the AHL is also a clear indication that the team expects to be without the coveted trade-deadline acquisition for some time.

Ryan Callahan is not skating, either. According to the team, the Rangers captain is taking a "maintenance day." Callahan, who tallied the game-winner 2:55 into overtime, blocked a shot with his left hand last night and appeared to suffer some discomfort, though he remained in the game.

Arron Asham, whose wife gave birth Thursday night, is also not practicing.

Derek Dorsett is skating with the team, albeit in a non-contact jersey.

The Rangers and Senators clinched postseason berths on Thursday, completing the octet of Eastern Conference playoff teams, though all the seeds have not yet been decided. In the Western Conference, two berths remain up for grabs among three teams, including the seventh-place Red Wings, who won on Thursday and have the NHL’s longest active streak of playoff appearances at 21.

Senators 2, Capitals 1 (OT)
* Senators clinch playoff berth for 2nd straight season
* Sergei Gonchar (OTT): scored 47 seconds into OT
* Erik Karlsson (OTT): returned from torn Achilles tendon with 2 assists
* Alex Ovechkin (WSH): NHL-leading 32nd goal
FROM ELIAS: Alex Ovechkin has 371 career goals in 600 games, the most goals that any active player has scored in his first 600 NHL games and eighth-most all-time. (Wayne Gretzky, of course, holds the record: 526 goals.) Four other active players scored at least 300 goals in their first 600 games: Teemu Selanne (357), Ilya Kovalchuk (329), Jaromir Jagr (306) and Dany Heatley (304).

Rangers 4, Hurricanes 3 (F/OT)
* Rangers: clinch playoff berth for 3rd straight season
* Rangers: 4-1-0 in last 5 games
* Ryan Callahan (NYR): Goal (15); game-winning goal in OT, 4th game-winning goal this season
* Jared/Eric/Jordan Staal (CAR): 1st 3 brothers to play in same game for same team sine 1985

Canadiens 4, Jets 2
* Jets: eliminated from playoff contention
* David Desharnais (MTL): 2 goals (10, 11); went previous 10 games without a goal
* Canadiens: 61 points, tied with Bruins for Northeast division lead (Bruins have tiebreaker)
* Canadiens: 1st win in last 4 road games

Red Wings 5, Predators 2
* 7th in Western Conference with 1 game left
* Pavel Datsyuk (DET): goal, 2 assists (5 points in last 2 games)
* Red Wings: 3-1-0 vs Predators this season
* Predators: winless in last 9 ROAD games

Longest Active Postseason Streaks
Last Missed
Red Wings 21 1989-90
Sharks 9<< 2002-03
Penguins 7<< 2005-06
Bruins 6<< 2006-07
Capitals 6<< 2006-07
>>Includes this season

Blue Jackets 3, Stars 1
* Blue Jackets: 53 points, tied on points with Wild for 8 seed in West (Wild own tiebreaker)
* Stars: eliminated from playoffs; 0-3-1 in last 4 games
* Blue Jackets: 7-1-0 in last 8 games, outscoring opponents 26-14
* Cam Atkinson (CBJ): 2 goals (7, 8); 4th multi-goal game of career

Devils 3, Penguins 2
* Devils: 4-1-0 in last 5 games, won 3 straight home games
* Devils: 3-7 on power play in last 2 games (1-3 vs Penguins)
* Ilya Kovalchuk (NJD): Goal (11); 1st goal in last 9 games
* Penguins: locked into top seed in East

Flyers 2, Islanders 1
* Flyers: won 3 straight games
* Islanders: 1st regulation loss in 12 games (8-1-3 in those games)
* John Tavares (NYI): 29th goal this season (2nd most in NHL, behind Alex Ovechkin)

Bruins 2, Lightning 0
* Bruins: Tuukka Rask recorded 5th shutout of the season (15th career)
* Bruins: remain No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference
* Bruins: 2-4-1 in last 7 games

For a host of playoff bubble teams facing dire situations, Tuesday was not a good night.

With the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets all scrambling to secure tickets to the postseason dance, those four teams somehow managed to go a combined 0-3-1. Two of those teams, the Rangers and the Islanders, could not take advantage of weak opponents in the form of the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively.

The Isles did pick up the lone point among the four teams in a shootout loss to the Canes, and it was enough to propel them into the postseason for the first time since 2007. While his name rarely comes up in discussions as a possible Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year, is it not time to at least give Jack Capuano a little love given how low the expectations were for the Isles this season? (And, as if you needed to check, the Isles were able to avoid a regulation loss Wednesday with 1:01 left in the third period on John Tavares' 27th goal of the season.)

Of the losses that were most painful among this gang of four, Dallas' 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks was a killer. The Stars gave up two goals in a 30-second span in the second half of the third period and couldn't get the equalizer to at least push the game to extra time.

The Stars are in 10th place in the Western Conference, three points out of eighth with two games to play. They must beat the eighth-place Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday and then hope that Saturday's season finale against the ninth-place Detroit Red Wings has meaning.

Like Dallas, Columbus has two games remaining on its schedule, whereas Detroit has three. The Jets, meanwhile, saw any hopes of a Southeast title go up in smoke Tuesday when they were beaten 5-3 by the surging Washington Capitals, who secured the top spot in the division with the win. The injury-plagued Jets battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to make it 2-2 in the second period, only to give up two more goals in less than three minutes late in the middle frame.

The Jets are almost out of time as they trail the Ottawa Senators and the Rangers, who lost 3-2 to the Panthers on Tuesday, by one point. But the Jets have only one game remaining, while the Senators have three left and the Rangers two.

Ultimately, it was an injury that earned Taylor Pyatt a promotion from fourth-line duty for the surging Rangers.

After Brian Boyle was sidelined last week, the 32-year-old winger found himself on a line with veteran center Brad Richards and diminutive Norwegian forward Mats Zuccarello.

Since then, Pyatt has picked up his game, performing the dirty work along the boards and battling behind the net.

Sunday night, he was rewarded with his first goal in 27 games. Before Pyatt’s pivotal second-period marker -- a game-changer that gave the Rangers a 3-0 lead en route to the team’s 4-1 win ober the Devils -- he had not found the back of the net since Feb. 26.

For the hard work Pyatt put forth, he was due.

“I’ve used [Pyatt] when we’re protecting a lead,” coach John Tortorella said. “He has done some really good things for us as far as his overall game. It’s been an up and down year for him, but he’s a good guy along the wall…he’s a big part of that line and that line has played well.”

A big part of that has been the play-making ability of Richards, who has four goals and seven points in the last three games.

Richards intercepted a Devils’ pass before dishing off to Pyatt above the right circle for his linemate's slump-snapping goal on Sunday; later in the game he set up captain Ryan Callahan for his second helper of the night.

An inconsistent performer this season, Richards seems to be hitting his stride at the right time. It started with a goal and an assist in the team’s 6-1 rout of the Panthers Thursday -- he had previously been held off the score sheet for four straight games – and continued with an 8-4 win against the Sabres the next night, during which Richards netted his first hat trick in 896 career games.

“He’s looking great. Past couple of weeks, he’s making some great plays,” said goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. “It seems like he’s reading the game really well -- scoring a lot of goals and setting up guys for goals, so he’s heating up at the right time. It’s great to see.”

Lundqvist made his 12th consecutive start Sunday night, another 60-minute effort on top of an already heavy workload. He will likely make at least two more before the season’s over, possibly all three, depending on the playoff implications that arise.

The reigning Vezina Trophy winner, who played only 62 of 82 games last season, hasn't had the luxury of rest this year.

Lundqvist has sat out only five of 45 games with the Rangers fighting for the eighth and last playoff spot in the East.

“All I do right now is prepare and recover from games,” Lundqvist said. “All my focus is just hockey. In a normal season, it’s a little different, but right now it’s all about hockey and it feels like the playoffs have been going on for a couple of weeks now.”

Lundqvist said he has deferred the decision on whether he starts or rests to Tortorella. He knows he can't trust himself to spurn the option to play.

“I told him, ‘I can’t make that call. It’s up to you,'” Lundqvist said. “I can’t say ‘no’, but it’s a lot of fun to be out there right now, with all the excitement and we’re playing well as a group as well.”

With three games remaining in the regular season, the Rangers face the Panthers in Florida on Tuesday.

From the official NHL release:

LADD, RICHARDS AND COUTURE NAMED NHL ‘THREE STARS’ OF THE WEEK


NEW YORK (April 22, 2013) – Winnipeg Jets left wing Andrew Ladd, New York Rangers center Brad Richards and San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending April 21.

FIRST STAR – ANDREW LADD, LW, WINNIPEG JETS

Ladd led the NHL with eight points and six assists in three games to help the Jets pick up five out of a possible six points in their push for a playoff berth. He recorded three points (2-1—3), plus the shootout clincher, in a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning April 16. Ladd then tied a career high with three assists, including the primary helper on Dustin Byfuglien’s overtime winner, in a 4-3 triumph over the Carolina Hurricanes April 18. He capped the week by collecting two assists, including the primary helper on Bryan Little’s game-tying goal with 2:01 left in regulation, in a 5-4 shootout loss the New York Islanders April 20.
Ladd is currently on a career-high seven-game point streak (4-10—14) that dates to April 4. In 45 games this season, the 27-year-old Maple Ridge, B.C., native leads the Jets in goals (18), assists (28) and points (46).

SECOND STAR – BRAD RICHARDS, C, NEW YORK RANGERS

Richards led the League with four goals and tied for second with seven points in four games as the Rangers earned six out of a possible eight points to remain in the top eight in the Eastern Conference. After being held off the scoresheet in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers April 16, Richards rebounded with a goal and an assist in a 6-1 win over the Florida Panthers April 18. He recorded his first career hat trick, including the game-winning goal, in an 8-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres April 19. Richards then closed the week by posting two assists in a 4-1 triumph over the New Jersey Devils April 21. The 32-year-old Murray Harbour, P.E.I., native has played in 43 games this season and ranks third on the Rangers in both points (30) and assists (20).

THIRD STAR – LOGAN COUTURE, C, SAN JOSE SHARKS

Couture totaled 3-3—6, including two game-winning goals, in four games to help put the Sharks on the verge of clinching their ninth consecutive playoff berth. He scored the winning goal in a 4-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes April 15. Couture then posted a career-high four points (2-2—4), including the game-winner, in a 6-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wild April 18. He finished the week with one assist in a 4-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets April 21. In 45 games this season, the 24-year-old Guelph, Ont., native leads the Sharks with 19 goals and ranks second on the team in both points (35) and assists (16).

Rangers 8, Sabres 4
* Rangers: in 8th place in East; Sabres are eliminated from playoff contention
* Rangers: won 4 of last 5 games
* Rangers: 8 goals are their most in a road game since scoring 10 against the Lightning on November 10, 1998
* FROM ELIAS: The Rangers scored 5 goals in a span of 2:58 - the fastest five goals scored in a game in franchise history. Their previous record was 3:22 on February 15, 1985 vs the Oilers. It's the fastest 5 goals scored by any team since the Islanders on January 26, 1982 vs. Pittsburgh (2:37)
* Brad Richards: 1st career hat trick (896th career game); his 255 goals are the 4th-most scored by a player at the time of his first hat trick

Blues 2, Stars 1
* Blues: 3rd straight win; 9-2-0 in last 11 games
* Chris Stewart (STL): Goal (17), first goal in last 8 games; leads team in goals and points
* Stars: 0-2 on power play, 1-16 on PP in last 5 road games
* Stars: remain 2 points behind Blue Jackets for 8 seed

Blackhawks 5, Predators 4 (F/OT)
* Blackhawks: 5-0-0 vs Predators this season
* Blackhawks: won 7 straight games
* Marian Hossa (CHI): GW PP Goal in OT; scored goal in 3 straight games for 1st time this season
* Predators: lost 8 straight games
* FROM ELIAS: Hossa’s three overtime goals this season are the most by any NHL player, and they tie the single-season Chicago team record set by Kyle Calder in 2005–06.