Both teams compete in the NHL's Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division, and there is only a 230 miles (370 km) drive between the cities of Washington, D.C. and New York.

[7] The Rangers' season came to an end when they were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens in the Wales Conference final in five games.

The Capitals took game 2 by a score of 6–3, but lost their star forward Dino Ciccarelli to a knee injury in the process.

John Druce would then score the series-winning goal in overtime in game 5 in New York to send the Capitals to the Conference Final against the Boston Bruins.

[8] In 1992, both teams made the playoffs with the top two regular season records, but both lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins who won another Stanley Cup that year.

The Rangers won the Presidents' Trophy that year and swept the Islanders in the first round while the Capitals defeated the Penguins in six games.

With the 1998 realignment moving the Capitals into the Southeast Division, and both teams struggling to make the playoffs until 2007, the rivalry died down.

The Capitals faced the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins again, losing this time in seven games.

In 2010, the Rangers did not make the playoffs but the Capitals, even though they won the Presidents' Trophy, lost in the first round after giving up a 3–1 series lead to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Rangers had come off a hard-fought series against the Ottawa Senators while the Capitals had defeated the Stanley Cup-defending Bruins in seven games.

The Rangers would then mount a comeback in game 5 with Chris Kreider scoring the tying goal with only 1:41 remaining in regulation just as Henrik Lundqvist reached the bench for an extra attacker, and eventually won the game on an overtime goal by Ryan McDonagh to force the series back to Washington.

In overtime, Ovechkin's guarantee proved to be false as the Rangers' Derek Stepan scored to send his team to the conference final for the second year in a row while the Capitals gave up their fifth all-time 3–1 series lead, the most in the NHL.

[10] The Rangers later called George Parros, the head of the NHL Department of Player Safety, unfit to continue serving the role.