"I think we were expecting to have a longer series." -- Sean Bergenheim, Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa, FL -- As had been the case in the previous three games in this series, the Washington Capitals could not find the answers to some of the Tampa Bay Lightning role players in Game Four last night and paid the ultimate price for it. Third-liner Sean Bergenheim scored a pair of goals, his sixth and seventh of the playoffs, to lead the Lightning to a 5-3 win and eliminate the Caps from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ultimately, Tampa was the better team -- top to bottom -- in this series.  The results obviously speak for themselves; but the effort, determination and resolve Tampa showed on the ice spoke volumes as well.

Did the Capitals think Tampa was the better team?

"They beat us four straight so I think they were," coach Bruce Boudreau said in his post-game.  "It wasn't by a big margin, but we're still done in four games, so I'd have to say they were better."

"They played well," veteran center Jason Arnott added.  "I'm not taking anything away from them. It was a battle. A few bounces might have gone our way, but that's playoffs. You can't sit here and complain about it and wonder if the bounces went the other way. They just didn't. They played hard and [Roloson] played extremely well in the net so hat's off to them. They came out to play and you know, we lapsed at certain times in every game and that cost us."

Those lapses, especially when Tampa's best players actually weren't on the ice, were the biggest difference in this series. "This is the first team we've played in a while that has three lines that really come at you," Boudreau said. "Their "so-called" third line -- I think [Steve] Downie had 12 points, [Dominic] Moore and Bergenheim had at least six goals, so that's pretty good for a third line."

Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher talked about Bergenheim's presence in the series.  "This year every top game, every important game, every game that there is some pressure, he was in it. He was one of our better players. Some people freeze under the pressure, some people fly away and some people fight. He fights."

Brooks Laich rationalized the results.  "I thought there were games, or portions of games where we outplayed them but your're not judged by intentions this time of year, you're judged by your results."

Tampa Bay outworked and outplayed the Caps in this series.  The numbers are evident.  They showed all the things that champions talk about: hard work, determination, resolve, doing the little things, playing 60 minute games. The Lightning came out to win these games, and after the Caps played poorly in Game One, they looked very much like they were playing not to lose.

We can talk in the coming days about who was along for the ride in this series and who was giving effort.  We'll debate long into the summer about whether the roster will get tweaked or if it deserves a total overhaul.  And there will probably be some quick discussion -- either way -- about who is going to lead this team going forward.  I'll leave the speculation alone for the evening.

But right now, after being swept by the team that finished behind them in the division, all that need be said is that the Capitals' season ended at the hands of the better team.

Emphasis on the word team.

“It was a bad change,” Coach Bruce Boudreau, on the fatal line change in overtime.

When Alex Ovechkin scored at 18:52 of the third period to tie the game at two goals apiece and to force overtime, the Verizon Center erupted to the extent it has not since Sergei Fedorov's goal to beat the New York Rangers in the seventh game of the Caps first round series in 2009.

Six minutes and nineteen seconds of hockey time later, you could hear a pin drop.

Vincent Lecavalier took advantage of a mistimed and poorly managed line shift, got behind the defense, and almost effortlessly roofed a beautiful backhanded pass from Teddy Purcell -- for his second goal of the game -- past the outstretched Michal Neuvirth, sending this series back to Tampa with his Lightning leading the series two games to none.

This game goes into the books as a 3-2 overtime loss for the Washington Capitals, and though all the principals said the "right things" in the locker room and at the press conferences after the game, it was a momentum shift of the highest order, placing all of the pressure of this series squarely on the shoulders of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and all of their teammates.

It was not supposed to be this way.  The Lightning, deep offensively, determined defensively, and possessing a goalie that has had the Caps number in games past, entered this series victors of seven excruciating games against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Capitals had a week off to rest and rehabilitate, having dispatched the Rangers in five games.

To complicate matters for the Bolts, they lost two of their key players, savvy playoff veteran Simon Gagne and rugged defenseman Pavel Kubina, in Game One of this series to injury.  Tampa was supposed to be tired, now injured, and according to their coach, Guy Boucher, simply outmanned.

Boucher, who holds master's degree in sports psychology, has been pumping the Caps up every time he stands in front of a microphone these days, and poor-mouthing his charges, explaining in his deep, french-tinged accent that his players are tired, hurt, and just not as good as the Caps. 

"Oh yeah, we need rest. Rest is a weapon." Boucher said when asked if Tampa's first series in now taking its toll in this series. "It's been very, very tough for us, I'll be honest. I don't think we could have gone on another period."

I'm sure Caps fans will cry him a river right now.

When asked how his team's penalty kill owned the Capitals, shutting them out on six chances (11 total for the two games) and 11:32 of extra-man time, he stated, with a straight face, "I think the goaltender, and luck, had a lot to do with it today."

The Capitals futility on the power play is obviously under a microscope, as it has been all season.  But their struggles there are the same in general for this team on offense right now: too many people are trying to create, to make a play, instead of playing simple, straightforward hockey.  Dump the puck. Go to the goal. Crash the net.  There's a reason people have played hockey in that manner for 100 years.

"We're trying," Boudreau said with exasperation when asked to pin-point the Capitals struggles on the power play.  “We’re trying different things. We’re trying to make things work. Obviously it’s not. It's not like they're bad penalty killers, they stopped 35 out of 36 in Pittsburgh. We’ve just got to keep going at it.”

Plenty of people are describing Tampa's second goal as "lucky", in that a crossing pass deflected off Mike Green's skate past his unsuspecting goalie.  But that's how goals are scored, by putting the puck in the crease or low slot.  The Capitals know this.  Bruce Boudreau preaches it.  The players practice it.  And when they play that way, they succeed.

Both of Washington's goals came with a player in the crease.  First Brooks Laich did some hard work in front of the net off a shot from Nicklas Backstrom.  And the team captain got an unbelievably good pass from Jason Arnott in the trapezoid with 1:08 left in the game.

Yet on the power play, the Caps are content to skate and carry the puck, instead of using short, quick passes to lure the defense out of a comfort zone.  They shoot, but all too often from the point, where the shot is easier to block or knock down, then cleared to the safe end of the ice.  Too many players are trying to create instead of simply getting the puck to the net.  This is what Boudreau and Ovechkin refer to being "cute" on offense. 

It's anything but.

Coaches, players and fans alike are frustrated, but Ovechkin reasoned in comments after the game. "We don't have the kind of traffic like we did against the Rangers. And we didn't find rebounds. We just have to go to the net and find the puck."

Yet, despite the trouble with the power play, the Capitals fairly controlled five-on-five play, outshooting the Lightning 37 to 23.  But a puck off a skate here, a bad line change there, and the Caps find themselves in a 0-2 hole.

In playoff games, the smallest weaknesses are exploited and taken advantage of.  Receiving six power plays by the 11 minute mark of the second period, as the Caps did last night, was a gift from the hockey gods.  And they simply did not -- could not -- take advantage of those gifts.  And it now makes the rest of their quest that much more difficult.

These Caps have pulled off the feat before, in the aforementioned Rangers series in 2009.  They lost the first two games at home and won four of the next five games, culminating in Fedorov's winner.  They'll now have to pull that trick out of their hat again if they are to advance to the Conference Finals in 2011.

"I thought, this isn't the way we play. It was reverting back to an older day." -- Coach Bruce Boudreau, on his team's play in the third period.

The Washington Capitals excelled in the latter stages of the season and in the first round of the playoffs by playing a controlled system, playing within themselves and taking advantage of their speed and strength on offense.  For the first half of last night game, when they took a 2-1 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning (and really could have been four or five to one), they played that way as well.

But a four and a half minute sequence at the end of the second period changed all that, and the Caps allowed play to be dictated to them the rest of the game.  Tampa rallied for two late goals in that time and the Caps they fell back into more of the style they played when struggling over the winter, which can most politely be described as non-committal.

The end result was a 4-2 loss in Game One of these Eastern Conference Semifinals, and puts the Caps in the unenviable position of essentially needing to win Sunday in Game Two.

The first period started out a little clunky on both sides, as the Caps were coming off a five-day mini-vacation and the Bolts only 48 hours from their Game Seven clincher against Pittsburgh. Tampa got on the board first just 2:12 into play, with Sean Bergenheim knocking in a puck that squirted through Michal Neuvirth off a shot from Steve Downie.

Replays showed Bergenheim cross-checked Mike Green into the goal before the play to take the Caps d-man out of position, but no call came.  Washington answered less than two minutes later, when Alexander Semin ripped a slap shot through Dwayne Roloson.  The Caps swarmed after that and led in shots after one period 14-9.

The second period saw the Caps dominate the first 15 minutes, taking the lead less than two minutes in, as Jason Chimera won a puck battle on a faceoff to Roloson's right and then hit Eric Fehr with a great pass, who had drifted into the slot alone.  Fehr snapped off a one-timer past the Tampa goalie and the Verizon Center faithful erupted.

The Caps enjoyed several other excellent scoring opportunities in the period, but could not convert again.  On one sequence, Laich hit a post and Nicklas Backstrom got the bouncing puck behind Roloson, but Tampa defenseman Eric Brewer swept it out of the crease and out to safety.  It could have been 3-1 on at least three different occasions.

But that didn't happen.

At 16:17, Neuvirth tried to play the puck up the board but Jeff Schultz couldn't handle the puck. Vinny Lecavalier collected the puck along the right wing boards and hit Steve Downie at the far post.  Downie flipped the puck back toward Neuvirth and it deflected off Scott Hannan's stick and over Neuvy's right shoulder to tie the game.

"I thought we were in control of the game until the Downie goal," Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said.  "That gave them life. But you can't play river hockey. I thought, this isn't the way we play. It was reverting back to an older day."

Less than two minutes later, Jason Chimera was called for roughing Pavel Kubina on a forecheck.  At full speed, it looked like Chimera simply finished his check, but a closer look revealed that he got his elbow up on the Tampa defenseman.  Kubina would not return.

On the ensuing power play, Karl Alzner tried to dig a puck out of the corner, but was beaten to it by Brewer, who got enough on it to get it to the post.  Steven Stamkos gathered the puck there and on the second whack, got it behind an out of place Neuvirth, who expected the puck to got into the crease.

There were just 32 seconds remaining in the period, and it was obvious the wind had come out of the Caps sails.

The third period was a disaster.  The Caps only managed five shots on goal, despite benefiting from two power plays in the frame.  The best opportunity they had came when Alex Ovechkin made a beautiful behind the back pass to a wide open Nicklas Backstrom in front of the net, but he only managed to pound it into Roloson.

Backstrom, the Caps second leading scorer, has now gone 13 games without a goal.   He had five shots on goal to lead the team, but his play was erratic. 

Is he pressing?  "Yeah, I think so," he said from the locker room after the game.  "I had an open net there and I should have just put it in. That's what happens when you struggle."

Boudreau spoke about how Tampa impeded his squad in the third period.  "They make it frustrating. They just hang back and you're trying to push and they're very good at it. That's why when they get a lead, and when they got a lead against Pittsburgh, they would hold on to it."

So the Caps are now faced with Game Two Sunday night.  They should be the more rested team, the one with more jump in their legs and fire in their bellies.  They'll have to play that way to regain the momentum in this series.  Because right now, it's with the team that entered this series that didn't get a chance to rest their bones after playing seven games in the first round.

CAPS NOTES:  The Lightning played much of the game without winger Simon Gagne, who appeared to black out after hitting his head and shoulder on the ice after a clean check by Scott Hannan.  He left with assistance but on his skates, and Tampa coach Guy Boucher said he would be evaluated further by team doctors.  Gagne has a history of concussions, missing almost an entire season as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

John Carlson appeared to suffer a leg injury of some sort, only taking bits of two shifts in the third period.  Boudreau called him day-to-day and "hoped" to have him for Sunday.

Alex Ovechkin registered just two shots on goal and had seven blocked.  The Caps fourth line of Boyd Gordon, Matt Bradley and Matt Hendricks managed just two shots on goal, both from Gordon.

Jeff Schultz extended his streak of time on ice without opponent goal to 125:47, a Stanley Cup Playoffs record.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a good hockey club. They have a deep and talented offense, are extremely efficient on the power play, have a veteran and tough defensive corps, employ one of the most obnoxious agitators in the game, and now have a savvy goaltender that just happens to own the Washington Capitals in his history.

Add in the fact the Lightning just bounced the Caps' arch-rivals from the post-season, and there's plenty of evidence to suggest the Caps will have their work cut out for them in the second round.

But there seems to be less hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth about this series than the first round.  Maybe the fact that the Caps escaped indignity by surviving a first-round series has folks feeling, if not comfortable, a little less anxious anyway about the next round.

The stakes are obviously higher for the team. The stage is a little brighter. The schedule laid out is more difficult, with Games Two, Three and Four in a four night span. All these things should be making Caps fans even more nervous.  But it doesn't seem to be.

Could the Caps ownership of the Southeast Division the last few seasons be clouding everyone's vision? Could it stem from even further back in history, as the Southeast still didn't even exist when the Caps heroes of our youth did battle in places like New York, Long Island, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh? Could it be the simple idea that they play their home games in Florida?

Maybe the fact the Caps haven't played Tampa Bay in the playoffs since 2003 is a factor?

Yes, I'm sure all those biases come into play.

Perhaps the Caps regular season record of 4-1-1 over Tampa Bay, outscoring them 19-10 in the process, has something else to do with it.

The Bolts new ownership and General Manager Steve Yzerman are putting together something very formidable in the Bay, and we should not demean that effort at all. With a little luck, maybe this series will finally instigate a natural rivalry within the Southeast Division. That would be good for the division, good for hockey, good for the teams and fans involved.

But as it stands now, even national television coverage of this series is being hidden, with Games One and Two banished to Friday and Sunday nights, so that games featuring Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit can be seen in the most visible slots. And Game Three in Tampa has been set for 6:30 pm, when most D.C. residents are still stuck on the Beltway, 395, or one of the Parkways.

Maybe Tampa comes out tonight, still on a high from their opening round victory, and puts a scare into a rested, but perhaps rusty Caps team and that will get the nerves going again. Maybe Dwayne Roloson pitches a shutout, as he has done several times in the past against the Caps, and the butterflies that were there for in round one come back.

Caps fans should have a healthy dose of respect for the Lightning and their organization. They are certainly capable of playing well enough to advance to the Conference Finals, a place the Caps haven't reached since 1998.  The Bolts led the division much of the season until the Caps went streaking in March.  They had ten double-digit goal scorers and were sixth in the NHL in power play efficiency in the regular season and third in the playoffs so far.

It's a team full of veterans, from Vinny Lecavalier to Martin St. Louis to Ryan Malone to Steve Downie to Pavel Kubina to the ancient one, Roloson, in goal.  Oh, and that Stamkos kid is pretty good too.

In several publications, I predicted the Caps would dispatch the Rangers in five games and they made me look good for saying so. I will now go on the record once again, predicting this time Washington will take care of business in six games.

Enjoy the games Caps fans. 

As they did for the first round, NBCWashington.com assembled some of the finest hockey minds in D.C. (and us) and asked them to make some projections about the Washington Capitals second round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As you'd expect, most predict the Caps will win the series, but there are certainly some interesting thoughts as to the keys to the series and matchups that bear watching.

Please click through to see all of the prognosticators' answers.  And thanks to Jim Iovino for inviting us to participate once again.

The Washington Capitals will face Southeast Division rival Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, starting Friday night at 7:00 pm from Verizon Center.  There is a noticeable quirk in the schedule: back-to-back games in Tampa next Tuesday and Wednesday, due to the University of South Florida graduation ceremonies to be held at the St. Pete Times Forum on Thursday.

Here's the full schedule:

Game One: Friday, April 29, 7:00 pm at Verizon Center (Versus, TSN)

Game Two: Sunday, May 1, 7:00 pm at Verizon Center (Versus, CBC)

Game Three: Tuesday, May 3, time TBD at St. Pete Times Forum (Comcast SportsNet, Versus, TSN)

Game Four: Wednesday, May 4, 7:00 pm at St. Pete Times Forum (Comcast SportsNet, TSN)

*Game Five: Saturday, May 7, 12:30 pm at Verizon Center (NBC, TSN)

*Game Six: Monday, May 9, time TBD at St. Pete Times Forum (Comcast SportsNet, Versus, TSN)

*Game Seven: Wednesday, May 11, time TBD at Verizon Center (Comcast SportsNet, Versus, TSN)

*If necessary.

“It was a great game by us. A great performance. We played a good 60 minutes. We didn’t allow them too many chances. Neuvy played great tonight. It was a great effort by everybody.” -- Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom.

Ovi celebrates the second goal of the game for the Caps. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network).

In the end, this was simply the culmination of a dominant team over a lesser opponent.  But for sixty minutes on Saturday afternoon for the home fans, it was a triumph of spirit.

The Washington Capitals did everything they wanted to do in Game Five, from the initial puck drop until the final horn, dominating the New York Rangers, winning Game Five 3-1 and capturing their best of seven Eastern Conference Semi-final matchup four games to one.

The Capitals now can afford to relax for a few days as their second round opponent is sorted out.  And their fans can now rejoice in putting away a first round opponent in five games, escaping the demons of gut-wrenching previous playoff series debacles of years past.

As it turned out, the Rangers really couldn't play with the Capitals.  They were swamped from the very beginning of the game, and the Caps skated circles around the Rags, who played the part of bully in Game Four until the Caps stormed back and re-took play from the lesser talented team.

Sure, the Rangers were successful for a while in Games Three and Four in dumbing down the game and forcing the Caps into playing more of a style that suited them: a plodding, ugly, messy affair.

But from the puck drop Saturday, the Caps dictated play.  They were faster, crisper, hit harder, passed better and generally controlled play on the Rangers, who were overwhelmed by the speed and physicality of the Caps.

Rangers forward Brian Boyle, who instigated plenty of contact in Game Four, talked about the shift in dynamics as the series left New York and came back to D.C.  "I thought our first shift was pretty good, but they came back with some good ones. Their first power play, they were swarming. They kept the momentum, the building was rocking. It was hard to get [the momentum] back. Towards the second, we started playing better and the third we did as well but we just couldn’t create enough offense.”

Defenseman Marc Staal was even less effusive about his team's play.  “From the start of this one, I noticed we were sitting back a little bit and they were making plays around us and gaining momentum that way. I can’t really tell you right now what it [was].”

Washington dominated play early, keeping the puck in the New York zone, and when veteran defenseman Bryan McCabe went off for tripping at 5:42, you got a sense the Caps weren't going to mess around.  Nor did they.  Alex Ovechin gathered a rebound and came cruising in from the point and held the puck until Mike Green could pinch in from the opposite point.  Ovi gave him a perfect pass at the faceoff circle. 

Green got a shot off and Henrik Lundqvist kicked it right back to Green, who stuffed it in to give the Caps the first period goal they sought the entire series.  After the goal, there was a pretty nasty scrum, and five players were sent to the box, four for roughing (including Brooks Laich and Alexander Semin), and New York took a bench minor for "abuse of officials". 

Rangers coach John Tortorella, long known as a hothead behind the bench, finally put his team behind the eight-ball.  The Caps didn't score on the ensuing power play, but they had finally gotten to the Rangers wizard by standing up physically to the abuse the lesser talented team had tried to dole out.  In a 30-second scrum, Laich and Semin not only stood up for themselves, but for their entire team.  It was long overdue, and it was particularly effective.

Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green celebrate Caps first goal, as Brooks Laich pays the price. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network).

In the second, Ovechkin broke in and beat Lundqvist (24 saves) on a true goal-scorer's goal, beating defenseman Marc Staal, going hard on the forehand, then cutting across the crease to flick a backhander over the sprawled Lundqvist for the backbreaker.

New York didn't just give up, but anyone watching knew they were broken.  When Semin banged home a perfect pass from Marcus Johansson with 3:37 remaining, the roof just about popped off the joint.

Michal Neuvirth was, again, outstanding.  He was only truly challenged on a handful of occasions, but was up to the task.  Neuvirth made 26 saves for his fourth win of the postseason. His 1.38 goals-against average in the first round leads the NHL, as does his .946 save percentage. The young Czech netminder has yet to lose a playoff series in North America.

Yes, the volume level was just as impressive as the Capitals play Saturday.  After the challenge that the denizens of Madison Square Garden laid down in Game Four, the red rockers proved worthy adversaries, with chants of "We Are Louder" to go along with the customary "Let's Go Caps!" chants, inspired and instigated by resident cheer-leaders Horn Guy and Goat.

Hey MSG, can you hear us? (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

The performance by the fans in the stands matched the effort by the players on the ice.  And for one night, the fruits of owner Ted Leonsis' plan could seen in plain sight: A team and its fans acting off one another in pure synergy.

The Caps have a long way to go for their ultimate goal.  Their captain said as much in his post-game remarks from the locker room.  "It’s first time we win the series in five games," Ovechkin said. "It’s pretty cool, we have time to rest. Right now I feel pretty good, but it’s not over yet, it’s just one step.”

Just one step. 
 
The Caps don't yet know who their second round opponent will be.  Regardless of who it might be, the Capitals are much more prepared than in years past to take that next step.
 
But for now, Caps fans, rejoice.  Enjoy this first round victory, do not take it for granted.  And don't look past it yet either.  There will be more games to be played in the quest for hockey's Holy Grail, but don't let one moment of this glorious victory go unsavored.
 
CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS
 
3. Boyd Gordon. 12-of-15 from the dot.  Fourth line really shut down Rangers skill players all night long.
2. Alex Ovechkin. Goal. Assist.  Doing his job.
1. Michal Neuvrith.  Stellar.  Calm, cool, collected.  I don't think he gave up a rebound all night.
 
CAPS NOTES:  Mike Green took a slap shot of fhis helmet only moments after scoring his goal in the first period and did not return.
 
Washington killed off 19 of the Rangers’ 20 power plays in the series (95.0%).

Michal Neuvrith makes one of his 26 saves. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)



The traditional post-series handshake at center ice. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network).



Capitals salute their raucous crowd after 3-1 win over Rangers (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

"I don't remember nothing." -- Alex Ovechkin's recollection of Game Five vs. Montreal in 2010.

There are plenty of stories being written today from all the different media outlets about the Washington Capitals playoff failures, especially when they've held a three games to one lead in their history, as they do currently over the New York Rangers.  I suppose, in its own way, this column is one of those stories too.

But, as Mark McGwire said famously while on the stand in front of Congress when asked about his use of performance enhancing drugs, I'm not here to talk about the past.

It's a reference point, sure.  The Capitals are 2-7 all-time in playoff series where they've held a three games to one lead.  Last season they became the first No. 1 seed to blow a 3-1 series lead.  Washington is 5-12 all-time at home in Game Fives.  We can go on and on about the stats and the history.  Because it's certainly there, for anyone that wants to look it up.

But the past is just not applicable in making a projection.  It makes for good narrative, because it's can be construed as "inner turmoil," a team fighting against itself and its history.  And we all know that struggle and controversy sells.

One can say the leaders of this team haven't learned how to close out a playoff series yet, that until they "put their foot on the neck" of their opponent, they'll be flawed and incomplete as leaders, as players, as a team.  I'm not sure I buy that, but I'm not sure I don't either. 

Psychology is a funny thing, especially when you're talking about the psychology of a group of young individuals from widely diverse backgrounds.

But to compare this team to the 94-95 team, or the 91-92 team, the 86-87 team, or even last year's team for that matter, is folly.

"I think they know what happened in Game Five [against Montreal] in the first ten minutes," coach Bruce Boudreau said after practice. "We've talked about it many times during the course of the year. But I'm not going to show them videotape of it or anything."

The only thing similar that this Capitals team has to all of those before them is the name on the front of the sweater.  Several weren't even born yet in 1987.  Some of the players remain from last year's collapse, but many faces have changed.  It's a different team.

Marcus Johansson.  Michal Neuvirth.  Matt Hendricks.  Scott Hannan.  Jason Arnott.  Marco Sturm.  None were involved in last season's debacle.

Sure, for long-time fans of the Caps, each of those playoff failures took away a little of their souls.  Each failure chipped away at their veneer, their armor, their self defense against heartache.  The losses made them more cynical, guarded, pessimistic.  "Choking Dogs", is how one popular former- Washington Post columnist used to refer to the Capitals come April.

And again, I understand the narrative.  The history is there so it has to be written about until a team comes along to "break the curse."  Fans feed into it as well, almost wearing it as a badge of courage when talking with their friends of other hockey teams.

But the players in the locker room don't care about the past, if they even are aware of it.  Sure, they remember last season, because it's fresh in their minds.  For the players that experienced it in person, and the others that watched it from a distance.

But I can promise you none of them, not even the oldest vets, could tell you about Ken Wregget's 3-0 shutout to close out the 1995 series against Pittsburgh.  None of them knew the devastation of the Pat LaFontaine goal.

That's all for the fans and media to re-live.  All today's team is concerned about is Brandon Dubinsky, Sean Avery and Henrik Lundqvist.  As it should be.

Yes. a win in Game Five would exorsize some demons for Caps fans and make them feel better about the team they root for, and about themselves for continuing to believe in that team even though the names, faces and personalities have changed over the course of 36 years, but the pain has remained the same.

But for the current team, it would give them a couple games off, a chance to rest and heal from a grueling, physical series.  And maybe, just maybe, they might learn something about themselves, too.

So, where shall we begin?

Ultimately, the only thing about this game that matters was the final score, with the Washington Capitals defeating the New York Rangers 4-3 more than halfway through the second overtime period to take a three games to one lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semi-final matchup.

But man, how they got there?  That will be the stuff of legends and lifetime memories.

In the second extra stanza, with legs getting heavy and shifts shortening, Jason Chimera collected a drop pass from Player of the Game Marcus Johansson at the blue line and flicked a shot toward veteran goalie Henrik Lundqvist that was blocked by defenseman Bryan McCabe but still made it to the top of the crease.

But as Lundqvist (49 saves) went to cover, Rangers forward Marian Gaborik tried to deflect the puck behind the net instead and wound up hitting Chimera right in the chest with it. Once the puck fell to the ice, the speedy winger jammed it home behind a prone Lundqvist to end the Capitals fifth longest game in their 37-year history.

That goal ended a remarkable comeback that was necessary because of a period of incredible futility and ineptitude, followed by an equally amazing period of hard work, perseverance and dedication.

After playing to a scoreless tie in the first period, which amounted to little more than a "feeling out" period for both teams, the Caps played their worst period of hockey since the days of the December losing streak in the second period, allowing three straight Rangers goals -- the last two coming seven seconds apart -- and looked for the world to be beaten, broken and defeated.

Washington was completely overwhelmed by the Rangers physicality in the frame, and by the time the period was over, the Caps looked like they were standing around waiting to be hit again.

But whomever gave the speech in the locker room during the second intermission certainly said all the right things.

With just 2:47 gone in the third period, Alexander Semin used great anticipation to intercept a poor clearing pass from Ryan McDonagh, fired on a surprised Henrik Lundqvist, and jammed home a loose puck the normally sure-handed goalie should have covered, triggering an epic third period comeback that included a pair of Marcus Johansson goals and forcing a stunned and tiring Rangers team to overtime.

It should be noted that three of the four Capitals goals came with the goal scorer having at least one foot in the paint, and the other was a deflection off the goal scorer's body camped in the crease.  Greasy goals.  Playoff goals.

Both teams had golden opportunities in the first extra frame, most notably Alex Ovechkin breaking in on Lundqvist alone, only to be stoned, and Marian Gaborik's wrister from the high slot that was calmly gloved by Michal Neuvirth (36 saves).

No, one overtime was not enough.  A comeback that stunning needed the drama of the second overtime period.

It shouldn't have come to that.  The Rangers had the Capitals right where they wanted them after the second period, on the scoreboard, on the ice and in the stands.  The raucous Madison Square Garden crowd was having a field day with Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, who earlier in the week had some pointed comments about the quality of the accommodation at the fabled arena, and some not-so-veiled jabs at the legions of Rangers fans, saying "It's not so loud in there."

Well, the chants of "Boo-dreau" and "Can You Hear Us?" were plenty loud enough, prompting Boudreau after the game to say that maybe he should have kept quiet about matters not directly related to the game.  But three third period goals silenced the MSG faithful, and after the dagger in the second overtime, you could hear the plaster dropping from the leaky ceiling in the dilapidated building that will be undergoing a $900 million face lift the next couple of years.

Momentum is a funny thing.  Had the Rangers held on to win and even this series, the Caps would have had to limp home and think about the nauseating way they allowed an inferior team to take control of things after achieving a two-games-to-none lead and then frittering it away.  Instead, after the ridiculous comeback-to-win-in-two-overtimes thriller, it's the Rangers that will brood for two days, mulling what could have, should have been.

The Capitals now have an opportunity to exorcise so many demons at once on Saturday, in front of their home crowd, on a night where the Verizon Center should tremble with excitement. 

Boudreau's message to his troops for Game Five should be simple: Take nothing for granted, earn everything, go to the net, work hard.  Just like in the third period of Game Four.

____________________________________________

CAPS NEWS NETWORK THREE STARS

3. Marco Sturm.  Plus-1, six hits.  Thought he played his best game as a Capital.

2. Jason Chimera.  Game-winning goal.  His speed was a force in overtime when Marc Staal and Dan Girardi were noticeably gassed.

1. Marcus Johansson.  Two goals. Should have had an assist on Chimera's game-winner.  Plus-3.  Only drawback was in face off dot (6of-17).  But he was the best player on the ice last night.

CAPS NOTES:  Alex Ovechkin was minus-2 for the night, and was not particularly effective for long stretches of this game.  He had four shots on goal, but missed on four and had six blocked.

John Carlson was also minus-2, and was a spectator on the second and third Rangers goals.  But he fired the shot from the point that deflected on Johansson to tie the game and as poorly as he played in the second, that's how good he was in the third and overtime.

Alexander Semin led the Caps with seven shots on goal and really was a presence every time he had the puck.  Matt Bradley was credited for seven hits in just 10:59 to pace the Caps in that department.

The two teams combined for 120 hits and 92 shots on goal.

Tonight at 7:30 pm, Bruce Boudreau faces off against legions of New Yorkers defending their decrepit basketball arena.

Oh, I'm sorry.  There actually is a hockey game to be played.

The Washington Capitals lead the New York Rangers two games to one in their best-of-seven game series, but all anyone is talking about in the media -- both New York and D.C. -- is Boudreau's comments regarding fabled Madison Square Garden and the Rangers targeting Mike Green's head in Game Three.

Whatever Boudreau's motivation for addressing those two particular topics the other day, there's no denying that his team was badly outplayed in Game Three after playing so well in Game Two at Verizon Center.

Reports from this morning's pre-game skate from MSG brought news that Mike Knuble didn't participate, making the third straight day he hasn't skated with the team, which has to be considered a bad omen for his dressing tonight. 

Knuble has been a much bigger part of this offense since the strategy shift with the Caps relying on his presence around the net.  His absence would be a huge factor in this game.  Look for Eric Fehr to dress if Knuble can't go and for Jason Chimera to skate on the first line in Knuble's place.

Here are three more keys for the Caps tonight:

1)  The Caps need to get the jump on the Rangers.  MSG will be rocking tonight after Boudreau's comments, and an early goal would go a long way in settling things down in the arena.

2)  Someone needs to stand up to the Rangers agitators tonight.  Avery and Prust were on top of Neuvirth all of Game Three.  Better yet would be for someone to initiate the contact and get these guys off their game a little bit.  Avery loves to start stuff but doesn't finish.  Look for Matt Hendricks to get into someone's grill.

3)  Shots!  The Rangers top D pairing of Staal and Girardi have done a pretty good job keeping the shot total down against Henrik Lundqvist.  Ovechkin's only SOG in Game Three was his backhanded redirect for the goal.  Ovi needs to fling rubber at King Henry, the earlier the better.

Enjoy Game Four, Caps fans.

There were a lot of factors that contributed to the Washington Capitals losing to the New York Rangers, 3-2, on Sunday before a packed house at Madison Square Garden.

If you're into conspiracy theories, this one was a doozy.  The Capitals were whistled for eight infractions to the Rangers four, including a couple of "Where was the penalty there?" calls.  The game winning goal was scored while the teams skated four-on-four.  Still, a couple of the penalties were earned, including the cross-check by John Carlson that led to New York's only power play goal.

If you're a goalie controversy lover, you could argue that the first goal by the Rangers -- a power play goal -- that snuck past Michal Neuvirth's short side from a ridiculously sharp angle into an even more ridiculously small space STILL should never have happened, and if you look closely enough it might even appear that Neuvirth ducked away from the shot just a bit.  But you'd be reaching.

If you're a Rangers fan, well, you're certainly entitled to simply cite the stats that show the Blueshirts completely dominated their visitors.   The Rangers out-shot the Caps 35 to 25, out-hit them 41 to 29 and dominated in the face-off circle, winning 56 percent of the draws.  That's not just outplaying your opponent, that's a complete statistical shutdown.

But the biggest difference between the first two games of this series and the Game Three loss is that the Capitals allowed the Rangers to get to them.  The Rangers were the hungrier team, and on their ice, they played agitator, drawing the Caps out of their game plan and putting themselves out there for the taking.

The Rangers played "downhill" all game, forcing the Caps to play reactionary instead of pro-actionary.  New York was in Neuvirth's crease all day, instigating contact with the rookie and not only did that result in a ton of reactionary penalties called against, but also drew the Caps defensemen into the physical game instead of playing their positions.

Both penalties against Carlson, the second period cross-check and the double-roughing at 16:45 of the third -- when the game-winner was scored -- were prime examples of the Rangers getting under the skin of the young d-man and taking advantage of his exuberance.

Then, on the play the final tally came on, veteran defenseman Scott Hannan allowed Erik Christiansen to goad him into a shoving contest in the corner instead of tracking the play, allowing Brandon Dubinsky to carry the puck out of the corner and sneak back through the crease to backhand the tie-breaker past Neuvirth (32 saves).

It wasn't all bad for the Caps, as they showed tremendous resiliency, equalizing both time the Rangers took a one goal lead.  Alex Ovechkin redirected a Jason Arnott pass on the backhand past Henrik Lundqvist (23 saves) with exactly one minute left in the second period, and Mike Knuble cashed in a Nicklas Backstrom rebound for a power play goal with 5:12 left in the game.

The Caps even had a bit of fortune on their side, as an apparent New York goal was disallowed at the end of the second period after review when it was evident the puck did not fully cross the goal line before the clock read 0:00.

But that's all the fortune the Caps received during Game Three.  The rest was up to the Rangers making their own fortune.  There's plenty to complain about with the officials, but the bottom line is that the Caps allowed their opponent to dictate the play Sunday afternoon instead of being the aggressors that they were in the first two games of this series.

Which Caps team comes out for Game Four Wednesday night could very well define the rest of this series.

CAPS NOTES:  Referee Chris Rooney broke his leg when he got tangled up on the goal trying to get back into a play up-ice.  The game was delayed about 10 minutes while the injured ref made his way off the ice.  He will miss the rest of the playoffs.

Alexander Semin led the Capitals with six shot on goal.

Caps celebrate Jason Arnott's power play goal. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Forgive an old hand for feeling good about a win.

The Washington Capitals got goals from Jason Chimera and Jason Arnott, and Michal Neuvirth turned away all 22 New York Rangers shots en route to a 2-0 win in Game Two, propelling the Caps to a 2-0 First Round series lead.

The affair resumes Sunday at 3:00 pm at Madison Square Garden, the most famous arena in the world.

The Capitals fairly dominated Game Two, using speed, forechecking, physicality and game plan to keep the road-weary Rangers at bey.  Through the Rangers outshot the Caps for the evening, they only challenged the Caps goal on a few occasions, and when they did, Neuvirth was up to the task.

It's not really fair to call Neuvirth a rookie anymore, though the 2010-11 season was his first full in the NHL.  But he played like a veteran last night, cool and calm in the face of whatever pressure the Rangers could muster.  He benefited once again from a defensive squad that blocked only one less shot than New York got through.

Neuvirth was exceptionally sharp in the first period, when the Rangers seemed to have a bit on momentum.  “They had shots early in the game," Neuvirth said.  "After [the] first period, I think they had like 13 shots. I feel pretty good about my game right now. After, I think we didn’t give up any big scoring chances, I think it was a solid team effort tonight.”

As is the case in series like this, the road team seemed to weary first, and after jumping out for 13 first period shots, New York managed just nine more and never really challenged in the latter stanzas, despite controlling most of the play in the third period.

It was then when the Caps defense really came to the aid of their netminder.  It seemed like every time Marian Gaborik, Chris Drury or Sean Avery tried to ignite something, Karl Alzner, John Carlson or John Erskine was in the middle of the action, or laying down in front of a shot, or generally pushing Rangers forwards to the boards to harmlessly dump a puck they had no intentions of retrieving.

The Capitals received all their scoring in the second period and they made it stand up until the end.

Brooks Laich made a tremendous physical play behind New York's goal, brushing off Matt Gilroy one-handed and directing the puck out to Marcus Johansson, sitting at the top of the left wing circle.  MoJo hit Jason Chimera, alone in the slot, for a one-timer to give the Caps a one-goal lead a little over two minutes into the second period.

Less than two minutes later, with Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh off for roughing, Mike Green stepped in from the point and wound up to take a big slap shot.  The puck was deflected right to Arnott, who sent a shot past the outstretched Henrik Lundqvist (16 saves) for the insurance goal.

The rest was up to the defense, and they took care of business.

Erskine blocked three shots.  Alzner blocked three.  Green got in front of two, including laying out prone for one.  Carlson was credited for one block and four hits.  It was just a stifling, dominating performance by a group that has bought in wholesale to a new philosophy, proudly displaying the new-found dedication in the second season.

Rangers defenseman Marc Staal was complementary on the Caps defensive game plan.  "They’re not giving us too much offensively. We’re not getting too many clear looks or clear chances."

Lundqvist agreed. "It’s a tough game when you get behind – especially the way they’re playing right now. They’re very tight in their own end. It’s tough for us to get the big chance."

“They’ve been buying in since the middle of December," coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game.  "They just want to win. The important thing is that they get success. We’ve got a lot of guys who’ve won a lot of awards and that doesn’t mean anything to them now.”

Game Three in New York Sunday will be an opportunity to really put a stamp on this series.  A win and New York is all but toast.  Lose, and you give new life to a hard-working crew.

Let's see if these defensive-minded Capitals have the killer instinct that has escaped so many of their predecessors.

Arnott give them his war face. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

Jason Chimera starts the scoring for Washington in 2-0 win. (C.Nichols/Caps News Network)

No one said this would be easy.

The Washington Capitals finished first in the Eastern Conference.  The New York Rangers barely qualified for the eighth seed. But as is common in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you can throw the records out the door.

Most prognosticators, including national media, expect this first round series to be a tooth and nail affair, with the winner escaping by the narrowist of margins.  Wednesday night, the Caps took first advantage, securing a 2-1 overtime win and taking a 1-0 series lead over a stunned Rangers squad.

Jason Arnott colllected a lazy clearing attempt with 1:36 left in overtime by Rangers defenseman Marc Staal and hit Alexander Semin, standing alone in the slot.  Semin one-timed the puck past Henrik Lundqvist for the game winner, sending a capacity crowd out into the streets of Chinatown happy.

Semin, through a translator, was introspective on the game-winner: “I just saw the puck get intercepted. It’s just a situational play. I tried to get open and shoot as soon [as] possible because the defenseman was right there.”  There are very few in this game that can get off a shot as hard and as quick as Semin, and his goal last night was evidence of how much he can mean to this offense.

The game was a fierce battle, with both teams playing things close to the vest.  It was the perfect appetizer for the banquet that this series should turn out to be.

Neither team exerted their will over their opponent last night.  Most of the game was counter-punching and recovery.  The Rangers scored first when unheralded forward Matt Gilroy chipped a puck past Michal Neuvirth not even two minutes into the third period. It was a fluky, ugly goal, but it stood until 13:44, when Alex Ovechkin would not be denied, pounding and pounding until he stuffed a shot under Lundqvist to tie the game up.

The play went to review, but it was clear that the puck got underneath the Rangers goalie and the goal stood.

The teams traded opportunities for the rest of the third and into the overtime frame.  And everything indicated the game would need a second extra period.

But with just over 18 minutes gone in overtime, the Caps got a good forecheck against the Rangers defense, and Staal tried to clear the puck up the right wing boards.  Arnott stepped in front of the loose puck and for a moment looked like he would shoot himself.  But Semin streaked into the slot, and Arnott gave him a perfect pass.  Semin blasted the shot past Lundqvist and jumped into the waiting arms of his teammates to celebrate the Game One victory.

Ovechkin was happy for his countryman after the game.  "We are all happy for Sasha [Semin] because last year he was little bit upset he didn’t score a goal and right now it’s very important for him to score a goal, step-up and show his leadership. It doesn’t matter who score right now, it’s all about winning and character and see how good this group is right now.”

The game-winner capped a productive night for the enigmatic winger.  Semin finished a plus-two on the evening with the game winning tally and an assist on Ovechkin's goal.

Michal Neuvirth was solid in net for the Caps.  He made a couple of nifty saves, but for the most part saw only outside shots from the Rangers.  The rookie made 24 saves in his first playoff win.  Lundqvist, the Rangers veteran keeper, saved 31 shots, including several terrific glove saves in the third period.

Game One was exactly what we expected: tight checking, low shot total, good defense, and counter-punching offense.  Both teams played pretty much the way they wanted to.  Sometimes, games this close are decided by a lucky bounce.  Sometimes, in overtime, a good player just doesn't complete their play.

This time, the Captials benefitted from a veteran play on a soft clearing attempt.  They might not be so lucky next time.  But it will be fun finding out.

CAPS NOTES: Mike Green played in his first game since suffering a concussion Feb. 25.  He played 26-plus minutes, finishing with four shots, one hit and four blocked shots.  He looked rusty at times, but was not limited in what coach Bruce Boudreau asked him to do.

“I thought his first period might have been as good as he has played in a playoff game," Boudreau said.  "I thought it was outstanding for a guy that hasn’t played in six weeks to come back in a game like that.”

The Capitals won 54% of their faceoffs tonight. Brooks Laich won a game-high 13 of his 18 faceoffs (72%)

Yesterday, Tony Kornheiser had Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau on his radio show from 10:15 am - 10:25 am, just before the coach took the ice for his team's 10:30 am practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex for their last serious practice before Game One of their first round match against the New York Rangers. 

Mr. Tony talked to Boudreau about everything -- and anything -- but hockey.  And he prefaced the interview that way.

Both sports talk radio stations had crews out at Kettler yesterday, as they do most days.  And there are a couple of folks in there that really know their stuff.  I've appeared with Sky Kerstein on The Fan's HD channel to talk pucks and he has a weekly show Sunday mornings as well, just as one fine example.

But ESPN980 and 106.7 The Fan also sent their "sports" talk personalities out there and from one observer's recount, the jokes and questions being lobbed at the Caps players and coaches were of the variety that were more appropriate for Super Bowl media day, a media created and driven circus so everyone can get their cut of the pie.

Mike Wise, who actually wrote a pretty good column today on the Caps acquisition of Jason Arnott (even if independent media beat him to it several weeks ago), started his interview with Boudreau by asking if the Caps don't advance past the first round is his job on the line?  The first freaking question!

Not to pick on The Washington Post, because beat writer Katie Carrera and former beat writer-turned-sometimes opinion writer Tarik El-Bashir do a good job with their responsibilities. But the Post columnists, the ones that are supposed to add context and critique to the local world of sports, have written a grand total of eight Caps columns since the Winter Classic, compared to 28 about the Redskins and the NFL, 23 about the Nationals and over 30 about college sports (local and national). Shoot, they've written 13 columns about the lousy Wizards!

How's that for depth of coverage?

Talk of the Caps has driven the local sports broadcasts the last couple of nights.  And why not, since no one is paying attention to the NFL draft because of the lockout?  Might as well latch on to the next best story.

It just so happens that next best story is the best team in town.  You know, the one with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the four-time consecutive Southeast Division Champion banners, the best active player on the planet and the winningest regular season record since their head coach took over in the league?

The very same.

All these people know about is choking, goalie controversies (hey, it works for backup quarterbacks!), job security, and funny commercials.  They wouldn't know Matt Hendricks if he walked down the street and kicked their dog.  Not that Hendy would kick anyone's dog.

But they're all here, latching on to the only perennial playoff team in town, at the only time of the year they bother covering them.  Choking?  That's all they know of the Caps cause it's the only time they pay attention to them.

And they'll all be up in the press box, jamming up the locker room post-game, and asking more silly questions out at Kettler the rest of the week.

Am I bitter?  I suppose.  In the interest of full disclosure, I was denied a press credential for the playoffs, as were many of the independent media (or given drastically reduced access) that cover this team on a daily basis, not just during the playoffs or even regular season, but year 'round.  They produce quality, professional, responsible and very often insightful, informative and philanthropic, and yes, sometimes funny copy. 

I never assume access.  I understand the limit of granting access to independent media.  The press box is only so big and if the "pros" need the space, it's perfectly understandable.

But am I disappointed that the access I've had for three-plus seasons, including previous playoffs, was taken away so that media that aren't involved with this team on a daily basis can be part of the party?

Hell yes, I'm disappointed. 

They ignore this team all season long and jump on the bandwagon when it suits them.  And they'll jump off as soon as the next news cycle comes along.  They don't respect their audience because they don't respect or understand the game.  It's just a story to them.

But we'll still be here.  Win or lose.  Triumph or disaster.

I understand them jumping on the bandwagon.  Playoffs sell.  Controversy sells even more.  And until the Caps win the Stanley Cup, they will be the biggest playoff controversy: regular season winners and playoff chokers.  The coach -- and franchise -- that can't win the big one.  That sells copy and drives ratings, maybe even more than winning.

Let's just hope they don't get to write that story this season.

We'll have some personal comments Wednesday about the Capitals, the playoffs and the psyche of America's Hockey Capital.

But for now, Caps News Network was invited to participate in a playoff roundtable by NBCWashington.com with some of the brightest hockey minds D.C. has to offer. And some other guys too.

Seriously, we were honored to be asked to be part of the discussion, and there were some very insightful and intriguing comments made by the responders. And some jokes were made as well.

Please click though on the link above, read all the comments, and enjoy. Playoff hockey is finally upon us.

The NHL announced the schedule for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs Sunday night.  As expected, the Washington Capitals will face the New York Rangers on Wednesday, Apr. 13 at 7:30 pm for Game One, to be broadcast on Versus.

The Caps and Rangers then play Game Two Friday, Apr. 15 at 7:30 pm, again on Versus.  Both Game One and Game Two will be in Washington at the Verizon Center.

The series shifts to New York for Games Three and Four, Sunday Apr., 17 at 3:00 pm (on NBC) and Wednesday, Apr. 20 at 7:00 pm.

Game Five, if necessary, will be back at Verizon Center at 3:00 pm Saturday, Apr. 23 at 3:00 pm on NBC.

Game Six is scheduled for Monday, Apr. 25 and Game Seven Wednesday, Apr. 27, times to be determined.

The Washington Capitals and the Florida Panthers played a game last night in Sunrise, FL that did not matter.  Sure, it will go in the books as a 1-0 win for the home team, but the result was meaningless.

The Panthers, with the fewest points in the Eastern Conference, lost out on their chance at the second season weeks ago.  And the Caps had already sewn up the top spot for the second season in a row a couple days earlier.

The only important thing about this game was not sustaining injury.  Which apparently they managed to do.

The loss was just Washington's third regulation loss in its last 20 games, but there weren't too many people associated with the team that were concerned with that detail.

No, the Caps weren't all that interested in who would win this game.  But they WERE interested in the outcome of the Carolina-Tampa Bay game, which would determine their first round matchup.  The Lightning tore into the Hurricanes, getting a 3-0 lead en route to a 6-2 win, knocking the 'Canes out of the playoffs and sending the New York Rangers to face the Capitals, either Wednesday or Thursday night at Verizon Center.

The Rangers clobbered the Caps in two of their three wins against D.C, winning at MSG in December 7-0 and 6-0 in D.C. in late February.  The Blueshirts were 6-3-1 down the stretch, but also lost second leading scorer Ryan Callahan (23-25-48, minus-7) to a broken leg and he'll be sidelined indefinitely.

New York is a big, physical team and could give the Caps fits, and as always they are backed by Henrik Lundqvist, one of the very best goalies in the league.  But they do not have a ton of offensive firepower and are prone to deep scoring slumps.

We'll have a ton more coverage of the first round matchup in the next couple of days.

This is the time all Caps fans have been waiting for.  And frankly, it's the time the Caps themselves have been waiting for.  It's been a strange, compelling season, and we're seen a transformation in the way the team plays and coaches. 

We've seen players grow up before our eyes.  We've seen players shipped out and brought in.  We're seen players alter their games.  We'll find out in the coming weeks whether it was for the better or worse. 

CAPS NOTES:  Mike Green (concussion symptoms) did not play against Florida.  The team opted to keep him out in hopes of avoiding a set back in his return.  He's been cleared by the league and has been practicing fully the last few days, but has yet to face opponents in a real game.

Jason Arnott and Marco Sturm were rested as well.

Washington finished the regular season 48-23-11-107, first in the Eastern Conference and second overall to the Vancouver Canucks with 117.  The Caps were 25-8-8 at home and 23-15-3 on the road, falling short of the franchise road record of victories by one.  They were 19th in goals per game, 4th in goals against per game, 16th on the power play and second on the kill.

I had a much longer column partially written, about practicing patience and taking to task everyone that seems so infatuated with blowing up the Caps for failing to close out Montreal after being up three games to one.

But instead of preaching, I'll give a simple history lesson.

It took Glen Sather, Wayne Gretzky, and his talented teammates four playoff seasons with the Edmonton Oilers before they won the Stanley Cup.  They then won the thing five times in seven years, including the last when the Great One had moved on.

It took Scotty Bowman, Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings three playoff seasons working together, but then won the Cup three times in six seasons.

It took Al Arbour, Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy five seasons together before they won their first Cup, then they went on to win four years in a row.

All had heartbreaking playoff exits before being able to drink from the Cup.

Bruce Boudreau, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have been together for three playoff seasons.

History tells us we should be patient.

Of the Capitals top nine scorers this season, seven were 26 years old or younger. 

In what should be their top four defensemen next season, the oldest will be 25 years old.

Their two top goaltenders next season will both be 22 year old.

The window isn't closing.  It's barely cracked open.

-----------------------------------

From Sergei Federov's interview with Puck Daddy:

"The thing is that the team is gaining experience right now. I know that good teams with good players 10 or 15 years ago were not winning everything right away. Right now the most important thing is to leave the team and players alone, and to calmly get ready for the next season. There are no revolutions needed."