How to Watch the Rangers vs. Capitals Game to See Who Wins the First Round of Stanley Cup Playoffs

Maya Gandara
·7 min read

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The Eastern Conference First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs kicked off this weekend. If you missed the Islanders versus Hurricanes or the Maple Leafs versus Bruins games yesterday, you’ve still got today to witness some of the first round of action. The New York Rangers are going head to head against the Washington Capitals, marking the 10th time the Rangers and Capitals will play in the playoffs.

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The Capitals (40-31-11) defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 on Tuesday, eliminating the Flyers, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins all at once, according to the NHL website. Since the Rangers (55-23-4) won the Presidents’ Trophy and the Metropolitan Division, the match will take place on their home ice.

Considering the Rangers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994 or made the Stanley Cup Final since back in 2014, and the Capitals secured their only Stanley Cup championship in 2018, this is pegged to be one interesting game for fans of both teams.

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You may be wondering how to watch the Rangers versus Capitals game online at home. Keep reading to find out how to stream the game and see who moves on to the next round in competition for the Stanley Cup.

When does the Rangers vs Capitals game air?

The Rangers versus Capitals game airs on Sunday, April 21 at 3pm EST/ 12pm PST on ESPN.

How to watch Rangers vs Capitals live for free

The Rangers versus Capitals game airs on ESPN and the NHL Network, both of which are available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Sling Orange, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends, and includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, and ESPNU. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends, and includes ESPN.

Sling Orange and Hulu+ With Live TV don’t have free trials, however, they are cheaper per month than the other options. Sling Orange costs $20 for your first month, starts at $40 per month after the first month ends, and includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. Hulu+ With Live TV starts at $68.99 per month and includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNews.

Best Overall Pick to Watch Rangers vs Capitals: Direct TV Stream’s Free Trial

Watch Rangers vs Capitals With DirecTV Stream

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Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch Rangers vs Capitals game for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. DirecTV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $79.99 per month; Choice, which costs $108.99 per month with the first two months at $83.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $84.99 per month with the first two months at $94.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $159.99 per month.. ESPN and ESPN 2 are available on all four plans, while ESPN News and ESPN U are available on Choice, Ultimate, and Premiere only.

As for other difference between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Rangers vs Capitals game with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.

  1. Visit streamtv.directv.com

  2. Click “Shop Packages”

  3. Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice

  4. Enter your information and payment method

  5. Search for ESPN and start watching Rangers vs Capitals

Best Free Trial Pick to Watch Rangers vs Capitals: Fubo’s Free Trial

Watch Rangers vs Capitals With Fubo

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Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch Rangers vs Capitals game live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers offers two plans: Pro, which costs $79.99 per month; and Elite, which costs $89.99 per month. ESPN is available on all four plans.

As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Rangers vs Capitals with Fubo’s free trial.

  1. Visit Fubo.TV

  2. Click “Start Free Trial”

  3. Enter your information and payment method

  4. Search for ESPN and start watching Rangers vs Capitals game

Best Budget Pick to Watch Rangers vs Capitals: Sling

Watch Rangers vs Capitals With Sling

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Sling TV is our best budget pick to watch Rangers vs Capitals game live for its price and channel selection. Sling TV offers three plans: Sling Orange for $40 per month; Sling Blue for $45 per month; and Sling Orange + Blue for $60 per month. Sling also has a current deal where subscribers can sign up for 50 percent off their first month, bringing Sling Orange’s price down to $20 for your first month; Sling Blue’s to $22.50 for your first month; and Sling Orange + Blue’s to $30 for your first month. Only Sling Orange and Sling Orange + Blue include ESPN. Both of those plans also include ESPN 2 and ESPN 3.

As for the difference between the plans, Sling Orange includes 32 channels and the ability to stream on one device at a time, while Sling Orange + Blue includes 46 channels and the ability to stream on three devices at the same time. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how watch Rangers vs Capitals game with Sling.

  1. Visit Sling.com

  2. Click “Try Us Today”

  3. Create an account

  4. Choose your plan

  5. Enter your information and payment method

  6. Search for ESPN and start watching

Best Upgrade Pick to Watch Rangers vs Capitals: Hulu+ Live TV

Watch Rangers vs Capitals With Hulu+ With Live TV

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Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch Rangers vs Capitals game based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $68.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $69.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $74.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN News are included on all four plans. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how watch Rangers vs Capitals game with Hulu+ Live TV.

  1. Visit Hulu.com/liveTV

  2. Click “Sign Up Now”

  3. Enter your information and payment method

  4. Search for ESPN and start watching Rangers vs Capitals

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