Once again the Washington Capitals season came to an unexpected screeching halt on Wednesday night. The Caps became the first #1 seed in NHL history to be swept in the second round when they fell to Tampa Bay two nights ago. Alex Ovechkin and his teammates were speechless and shocked as they were shaking hands with their divisional foes after losing game four 5-3. Washington barely had control in this series, only leading in 26 minutes of the four games. If you watched all of the games of this series you could sense the result after game two because Tampa Bay kept getting the breaks and bounces they needed to be successful.
Not to take away from the Lightning, but I feel the Caps lost this one for themselves once again. The defense struggled and in the end we couldn’t light the lamp enough to move on. This makes it four straight years the Capitals have made an early exit in the playoffs. The Caps had another successful regular season and another disappointing exit in the playoffs. However this regular season was different because Bruce Boudreau and his boys faced defeat and diversity throughout the year. Yes they finished first place in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year, but perhaps this year was a learning experience for Alex Ovechkin especially. I do not put one ounce of blame on Ovi for this turmoil in the post season. He never let down in this series despite his frustration. In fact he and Mike Knuble were of the few that didn’t lose that sense of urgency in the series.
Yesterday being the first day of the offseason, many injuries came out in the open that the Caps players were experiencing during the playoffs. These announcements are not meant to be excuses, but just to inform the people of the player’s well-being. Let’s go over some of the injuries. Knuble was supposed to be sidelined for a week or two, but he missed a few games and fought through his broken thumb injury. Jason Arnott had knee surgery that was kept under wraps from the public in the regular season. John Carlson and Mike Green both attempted to play through injuries throughout the post season. Add Dennis Wideman to that list and you don’t have a defenseman on the team who can move the puck well offensively. The Capitals could’ve definitely used that! Nicklas Backstrom who would like to forget these playoffs with his scoring issues was still nursing a thumb injury from earlier in the season. Finally Eric Fehr has to undergo offseason shoulder surgery. Yes we can bitch and complain all we want, but ultimately the Caps weren’t as hungry as the Lightning.
The time of year that 29 teams dread is sadly upon us for the fourth straight year. Some Caps’ players skated in a Washington jersey for the last time in the game four loss. There will be changes made in the offseason that is undeniable. George McPhee, GM of the Caps, made it pretty clear yesterday that Bruce would be returning to coach in Washington again next year. There is also a list of unrestricted free agents which include: Brooks Laich, Jason Arnott, Boyd Gordon, Matt Bradley, Scott Hannan, Marco Sturm and Sean Collins. It is scary thinking about losing some of those guys because like Ovi said, “We have unbelievable team, great locker room and great atmosphere.” Surely some of the UFA’s will be resigned, but not all of them.
Let’s talk about Ovi. The playoffs ended early again for The Great 8, so as usual people start to talk. I keep hearing that Alex Ovechkin can’t win the big game and he may never. Hockey analysts who say this cannot actually believe it. People also say that he is not captain worthy because of his selfish and reckless play. Selfish? Reckless? You obviously don’t watch the same team I watch for 82 games a year. Ovi gets more excited when his teammates score than when he does. He also has logged more assists than goals in each of the last two seasons. This was his first full season as a captain of the Washington Capitals, and he will have plenty more chances to make his mark in history. Steve Yzerman, who played for the Detroit Red Wings, didn’t win a Stanley Cup for ten years after being named captain at an early age. Yzerman is one of the best players of all time and is now the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He went on to win three Stanley Cups in the following years. My point is to not be so quick to criticize the best player in the world. After all he is only 25 years old and has passion for the game is unlike any player I have ever seen.
As a fan, of course I was furious at the Capitals after the sweep. You have to stay positive. We have most of the pieces to the puzzle; we just have to execute. Each year every player grows with experience which can only benefit in the long run. I will love the Washington Capitals forever and will never lose hope or thought of a Stanley Cup gracing our presence in the future. It has been my pleasure to blog about this hockey team for the last couple months and I will continue to in the offseason. Let’s try and keep the team together George! ROCK THE RED! Please leave comments on anything pertaining to the loss or the offseason.
In Ovi We Trust
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