On Tuesday night, the Rangers learned who their opponent would be in the first round of the playoffs. They’ll face the Capitals. The best of seven series begins on Sunday afternoon at 3 EST at Madison Square Garden.

How the Capitals earned the second wildcard was wild. At the same time they were taking on the Flyers, the Red Wings were battling the Canadiens. Both games hung in the balance late in the third period.

The Flyers needed a win in regulation over the Caps to have any chance. They were tied at one with over three minutes left. While coach John Tortorella pulled Samuel Ersson for a six-on-five, the Red Wings got a tying goal from David Perron with just over three seconds remaining to force overtime in Montreal.

One point was all Detroit needed to eliminate the Flyers from playoff contention. Tortorella didn’t know they scored. He went for it. As the Red Wings were going to overtime with hopes that they could still be alive, T.J. Oshie scored into an empty net to give the Caps a 2-1 lead. His goal stood up as the winner to clinch the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

For the Red Wings, it was bad luck. Tortorella admitted afterward that he didn’t know Perron scored to eliminate the Flyers. He got word following Oshie’s goal. He explained that it was the right time to lift Ersson and go for it. It didn’t work out and helped the Caps qualify for the postseason.

Sometimes, crazy scenarios play out. The NHL got what they wanted. Imagine if the Penguins had played against the Islanders on the same night. Instead, they knew their season was over. On Wednesday night, they lost to the Islanders 5-4 to conclude their year for a second straight playoff miss.

That was despite a heroic performance from Sidney Crosby. He finished with 94 points (42-52-94) at 36, proving again that he’s still one of the game’s best players. Crosby had nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points over the last 13 games. The legend did all he could to try to push the Pens into the postseason. They fell short due to a 6-4 loss to the Bruins.

For the Rangers, it’s probably good that they won’t see Crosby. The Pens played the best down the stretch. They would’ve been a tough out.

Instead, the Blueshirts are preparing for the Caps. They’re an experienced team that features Alexander Ovechkin, John Carlson, Oshie, Tom Wilson, Nic Dowd, and Max Pacioretty. Ovechkin finished the season with 31 goals. He had a strong second half. Of course, the Great 8 always has to be paid attention to. The Rangers will game plan accordingly.

Unlike past Caps’ teams, they have a younger roster. Dylan Strome is the number one center. He had a good season setting a new career high in goals (27) with 40 assists for a total of 67 points.

Connor McMichael is a player to watch. He posted a career best 18 goals and 33 points. McMichael played much more under coach Spencer Carberry than he did when Peter Laviolette coached in DC. That makes for an interesting storyline. Laviolette versus his former team.

The Caps bank on Charlie Lindgren in the net. The older brother of Ryan Lindgren has become a steady goalie for Washington. In his second season as a Capital, Lindgren played in a career high 50 games (48 starts), setting personal bests in wins (25), and shutouts with his six tying for the league lead. He posted a 2.67 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .911 save percentage.

In three starts, he went 2-1 versus the Rangers with a 1.35 GAA and a .955 save percentage. Lindgren is unorthodox because he catches with his right hand. That can make it challenging for opponents. The Rangers must do a good job shooting high blocker and finding other areas to target.

Most of the Caps’ defense is experienced. Carlson anchors it. They rely on vets Nick Jensen and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Martin Fehervary is a key player who plays tough. Rasmus Sandin didn’t play over the last week. Here’s an update on both him and Jensen.

The Caps are more defensive minded under Carberry. They’ll try to squeeze the neutral zone and take away time and space from the much quicker transitioning Rangers. They’ll need to be patient and get behind the Washington defense and on the forecheck. Puck possession is a team strength along with faceoffs.

If the Blueshirts can use their speed and skill to pin the Caps in, that should bode well. They can draw penalties and go on the power play. An area they excel at. But they’ll need to be strong at five-on-five. As important as special teams are, winning the battle at even strength is crucial.

It’s a contrast in styles. The Rangers should have an edge in depth. I’ll have a full preview sometime tomorrow.