Schedule and 2014-15 Results
Regular Season Records: New York Rangers 53-22-7=113pts, Washington 45-26-11=101pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 30 April: Washington wins at New York Rangers, 2-goals-1
Game 2 on Saturday, 02 May: Washington loses at New York Rangers, 3-goals-2
Game 3 on Monday, 04 May: New York Rangers lose at Washington, 1-goal-nil
Game 4 on Wednesday, 06 May: New York Rangers lose at Washington, 2-goals-1
Game 5 on Friday, 08 May: Washington loses at New York Rangers, 2-goals-1 (OT)
Game 6 on Sunday, 10 May: New York Rangers win at Washington, 4-goals-3
Game 7 on Wednesday, 13 May: Washington loses at New York Rangers, 2-goals-1 (OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The New York Rangers hosted and bested the Washington Capitals 2-goals-1 in overtime to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1263 victory. With the series 1263 win, the New York Rangers improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 32-38 overall and 12-13 in the Quarterfinals round. With the series 1263 loss, the Washington Capitals see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 12-23 overall and 2-9 in the Quarterfinals round (with an active four-Quarterfinals losing streak). The win order for the victorious New York Rangers in series 1263 was LWLLWWW: Series 1263 thus becomes the second NHL Quarterfinals-round series, the 11th NHL series (all rounds), and the 20th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. Series 1263 Game 7 is the best-of-7 NHL playoff game record 14th straight one-goal game involving the New York Rangers. Series 1263 is the fifth best-of-7 NHL playoff series lost by the Washington Capitals after having led 3-games-1 - an MLB/NBA/NHL-most in that category.

After Game 6: The New York Rangers visited and bested the Washington Capitals 4-goals-3 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1263 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the New York Rangers have a Game 7 record of 8-5, while the Washington Capitals have a Game 7 record of 4-9. In the context of goals scored, series 1263 is most even: Each team has thus far tallied 11 total goals, 6 goals at home, and 5 goals on the road. The New York Rangers have now played in 13 consecutive best-of-7 NHL playoff games whose margin of victory was one goal beginning with Game 4 of the 2014 NHL Finals. The previous record for most consecutive best-of-7 format NHL playoff games with a one-goal margin of victory was eight, set by the Montreal Canadiens (from Game 2 of their 1989 Preliminary round through Game 5 of their 1989 Quarterfinals round, inclusive) and tied by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (from Game 1 of their 2003 Preliminary round through Game 4 of their 2003 Quarterfinals round, inclusive), the Buffalo Sabres (from Game 1 of their 2006 Quarterfinals round through Game 3 of their 2006 Semifinals round, inclusive), and the St. Louis Blues (from Game 1 of their 2013 Preliminary round through Game 2 of their 2014 Preliminary round, inclusive). The NHL Washington Capitals and the MLB St. Louis Cardinals are tied for the most best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series losses after having led 3-games-1, with four series losses each.

After Game 5: The New York Rangers hosted and defeated the Washington Capitals 2-goals-1 in overtime to reduce the Washington Capitals best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1263 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 7-5 and a Game 6 record of 5-7 (with an active four-Game 6 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the New York Rangers have a series record of 4-17 and a Game 6 record of 7-14. The Rangers in New York trailed series 1263 Game 5 by a goal as late as 18:18 into the third period. In the history of best-of-7 format NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2014, inclusive, home teams down a goal as late as 18:18 into the third period had a game record of 34-453 (.070).

After Game 4: The Washington Capitals hosted and bested the New York Rangers 2-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1263 lead of 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 6-4 and a Game 5 record of 3-7. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the New York Rangers have a series record of 1-17 and a Game 5 record of 5-13. The sole comeback from a 3-games-1 deficit by the New York Rangers occurred in the 2014 NHL Quarterfinals, in which they rallied to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in series 1230.

After Game 3: The Washington Capitals hosted and shut out the New York Rangers 1-goal-nil to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1263 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 6-10 and a Game 4 record of 10-6. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the New York Rangers have a series record of 8-20 and a Game 4 record of 16-12. Series 1263 Game 3 came within one second of perfectly mirroring series 459 Game 6, in which the Hartford Whalers hosted and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-goal-nil in their 1986 NHL Quarterfinals series: In series 1263 Game 3, the sole goal occurred 7:31 into the second period; in series 459 Game 6, the sole goal occurred 7:30 into the second period.

After Game 2: The New York Rangers hosted and bested the Washington Capitals 3-goals-2 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1263 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the New York Rangers have a series record of 18-15 and a Game 3 record of 16-17, while the Washington Capitals have a series record of 9-12 and a Game 3 record of 9-12. With their series 1263 Game 2 victory, the New York Rangers snap a seven-Game 2 losing streak upon having lost Game 1.

After Game 1: The Washington Capitals visited and bested the New York Rangers 2-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1263 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Washington Capitals have a series record of 5-14 and a Game 2 record of 7-12 (with an active three-Game 2 winning streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the New York Rangers have a series record of 9-27 and a Game 2 record of 13-23 (with an active seven-Game 2 losing streak). The Washington Capitals tallied the game-winning goal in New York at 19:58 into the third period, thus notching the latest best-of-7 format NHL playoff game-winning goal on the road ever (the previous latest: 19:57 into the third period, in series 485 Game 2 by the New York Islanders in Philadelphia against the Flyers in their 1987 Quarterfinals series).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2014-15 NHL regular season, the New York Rangers finished 12 points ahead of the Washington Capitals. From 1939 through the 2015 NHL Preliminary round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 12 regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 10-9 (.526) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1263 is the 70th best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the New York Rangers, and the 35th for the Washington Capitals. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the New York Rangers have an all-rounds series record of 31-38, a Quarterfinals-round series record of 11-13, and a Game 1 record of 33-36, while the Washington Capitals have an all-rounds series record of 12-22, a Quarterfinals-round series record of 2-8 (with an active three-Quarterfinals series losing streak), and a Game 1 record of 19-15. Series 1263 is the ninth best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. The teams split the previous eight 4-4, with the Rangers having won the last two.