A Shock to End the Season

The Washington Capitals have built a reputation of being a hard-nosed team that fights until the very end. They proved in last season when they went from last to first to win the Southeast Division, and then forced the Flyers to a game seven that they lost in overtime. They proved it in round one this season as they came back from down 3-1 and then forced a game 7 in round 2.

And then, they just ran out of gas. You could see it coming when Alex Ovechkin was robbed on a breakaway early on, followed by a penalty that lead to a Sidney Crosby goal. Then, before anyone could blink, 21-year old Simeon Varlamov let in the softest goal he's ever allowed. The Capitals could not afford a slow start or a soft goal; they let both happen. From there, it was all over. All the energy was sucked out of the arena and the team was visibly deflated. The second period started with 2 more Penguins goals and Varlamov was sent to the bench.

It was all over, just like that. A game seven in a series like this one was supposed to be epic. It was supposed to be another overtime game, another chance for a hero to emerge from either team. Instead, it was an embarrassment. The Capitals played without energy for the final 30 minutes and the defense was still dominated for long stretches. They were booed by the 18,277 at Verizon Center like they deserved to be. They had just folded like a deckchair in game seven against a hated rival.

And yet, for the final two minutes, the Capitals faithful stood up and applauded the team that had just ended their season in the worst way possible. It was a gesture that nearly brought a tear to my eye; despite the terrible performance, the team had still had a great season. They improved on last season's result and, despite numerous holes, made it to game 7 against a team that was clearly superior. They made it to the 2nd round with a bottom-ten defense and a rookie goaltender. They had a Norris Trophy candidate with a separated shoulder and a 30-goal scorer with an undisclosed injury (I think it was something with his hand). Alexander Ovechkin required injections during the pre-game to subside the pain from a groin injury, yet he still lead the NHL in points and averaged two points a game.

It was a season in which the Caps were the best regular-season team in Caps history, where they were the second-best team in the East, saw Mike Green score in eight consecutive games, saw Alex Ovechkin have another possible Hart Trophy season (along with yet another Rocket Richard Trophy), saw Nicklas Backstrom develop into one of the best two-way centers in the game, and saw prospects like Simeon Varlamov, Michal Neuvirth, Oskar Osala, Chris Bourque, and Karl Alzner play and, in some cases, contribute. It was a good season, one in which the team can certainly improve on next year.

The offseason will certainly be a long one for Caps fans. There are plenty of decisions to be made and players to be considered. Sergei Fedorov says that he is not retiring, do they re-sign him? Will they move Michael Nylander and/or Jose Theodore? Will Viktor Kozlov be retained, or will he head home to the KHL to end his career? Do Shaone Morrisonn, Milan Jurcina, and Jeff Schultz deserve qualifying offers? What about Brent Johnson? Where do prospects Francois Bouchard, Karl Alzner, John Carlson, Michal Neuvirth, Oskar Osala, Chris Bourque, Matthieu Perrault, and Andrew Jourdey fit in? Do they spend some money on defense, or hold out for next year so that they can re-sign Alex Semin and Backstrom? Questions abound the Southeast Division Champs.

And yet, I cannot help but think this team is on the way to something special. Ovechkin has proved time and time again that he is a playoff performer. He can nearly single-handedly win games in the playoffs. He is the most dominant player in hockey when he is on his game. Varlamov has shown that he is ready for at least split-time action next season. Players like Dave Steckel and Milan Jurcina proved to be solid role players.

It will be a tough couple of months, but it is comforting to think that this team is so young and is only going to get better. In the meantime, I will enjoy the rest of the playoffs, look forward to the draft, speculate and dream during free agency, and wait in anticipation for any moves that could be made, especially regarding Nylander and Theodore. The sting of losing to the Penguins will last for a long time. Hopefully, next season provides the Caps with an opportunity for revenge.