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It seems a safe NHL bet, if ever there was one tonight, that the New York Rangers will be the latest scalp claimed by the dominant Washington Capitals, led by the ever-impressive Alex Ovechkin. You can almost sense the desire and motivation oozing from the players' skin as they seek to extend their current winning streak each game night.

A win against the Rangers, which would surely be a highlight in what will be a busy night in the NHL, would hand them their 12th consecutive victory. The win would round off a good couple of days which has seen them take a 10 point lead in the Eastern Conference following a defeat for the New Jersey Devils and set a new franchise record with their 11th win on the bounce, breaking the record set in early 1984, as well as continue their attacking flair which has proved so potent and effective in recent games.

Earlier in the week, the Bruins were simply unable to cope with this Caps attack and, despite putting up a brave fight for large stretches of the game, in failing to find a way to close the Washington offense down for the entirety of the match-up, ensured their miserable losing streak continued. The result of the game can, at least partially, be blamed upon psychological factors. Once the Caps got that first goal, both sides knew which way the game was going to go; the Caps have outscored their opponents 51-22 during their record-breaking streak, and these stats play in your mind when you come up against this side.

Of course, the Rangers don't need these stats to make them worry about the offensive firepower of their opponents tonight compared to their lack of attacking punch. Their offense is ranked among the bottom in the league right now and they have managed to notch up just nine goals in their previous six games. Putting this stat next to the goal rush of the Caps doesn't make pleasant reading for Rangers fans.

The Washington top line of Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Knuble has proved a very effective combination and the Rangers will be scratching their heads wondering how to deal with them ahead of the game later. Knuble has spoken of the pride rebounding around the team at the moment as this streak fills the players with confidence, describing it as a "great thing to be a part of" and, although the players recognize it's "not going to last forever", don't bet on it coming to an end tonight.