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Capitals look to end six-game road slide vs. Rangers

Nov 1, 2007 - 1:50 PM Washington (5-6-0) at NY Rangers (4-6-1) 7:00 pm EDT

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Even though the season has not started out quite as well the Washington Capitals would have hoped, they are also enjoying more success in the season's first month than they are used to.

The Capitals look to end their six-game losing streak at Madison Square Garden on Thursday when they meet the New York Rangers.

The Capitals, who won as many as five games in the first month of the season for the first time since the 2001-02 season, are 3-3-0 on the road this season. They hope that success can carry over to Madison Square Garden, where they have gone 0-5-1 since their last win on January 28, 2004.

However, Washington may be again missing captain Chris Clark, left wing Alexander Semin and former Ranger defenseman Tom Poti, all of which sat out of its 7-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

Left wing Alexander Ovechkin is doing his best to cover for their absences as he extended his multi-point game streak to four in the win over the Maple Leafs, notching nine points over that span. The NHL's fourth-leading goal scorer from last season has been held scoreless in just one contest this season.

For the Rangers, offense has been conspicuously absent for most of the season despite the presence of right wing Jaromir Jagr and left wing Brendan Shanahan. New York's 19 goals are the fewest in the NHL.

The Rangers have received strong play in net from their goaltender Henrik Lundqvist though, as the two-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy has allowed one goal or less in four of his last five starts.

New York has won two of its last three homes games, including a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.