I read with interest both On Frozen Blog's piece "Renewed Questions of Leadership" and Ed Frankovic's "Caps Off-season Focus Should Be on Leadership".  I know both these guys very well from our time in the press box together, not to mention an episode or two of working out with 12 ounce curls, and have the utmost respect for both.  Please take a moment or two to read their opinions if you haven't already.

They know my way of thought as well, so I think they will understand my position when I say, respectfully, that I disagree with them and think they are both over-simplifying the point and romanticising a notion that is not quantifiable.  And they are doing it, maybe even subconsciously, because the real answer is too tough to take.

They both go to great extents to quote executives and others in the game about the importance of "Leadership".  It's a concept that is as deeply rooted in hockey as the mythical "playoff hockey." (I guess Vancouver didn't play "playoff hockey" last night since they won 7-3.)  Hockey is the only sport that bestows a decoration on the uniform of one of its players signifying he is the captain.  But for the most part, it's just that: a decoration.

Leadership isn't taught.  It isn't acquired. It isn't tangible.  If George McPhee, or any executive, could identify it or train someone to do it, they already would.  Leaders aren't made, they are born.  You can train people to manage others, to teach others, to instruct others, to discipline others. But only Leaders know how to lead.

It has to be self-motivated.

McPhee has gone out the last couple of seasons to acquire several veterans that were supposed to bring "leadership."  Jason Chimera. Mike Knuble. Scott Hannan. Jason Arnott. Dennis Wideman.  He had a pretty good one in the room already in Brooks Laich. All are tremendously hard workers, experienced, talented, sacrificing; honorable.  Knuble and Arnott have rings; Arnott a former captain.  Are these not the requirements that John and Ed spoke about in their posts?  Is the fact that the Caps flamed out in the second round this season evidence these men are not leaders?

Were these players leaders during the regular season, when the Caps came back from an eight-game losing streak in December to capture the Eastern Conference regular season title?  Were they leaders in the first round when the Capitals stymied the New York Rangers in five games? Are we to believe then that they simply forgot to lead in the second round?  I hardly think so.

And how about the captain, the man on this team that wears the decorative "C' on his sweater?  There's not a man in that room that doesn't have the utmost respect for Alex Ovechkin.  There's also not a man in that room that wants to win more than he does.  Isn't that where respect -- leadership -- comes from?

The problem with the Capitals isn't a lack of leadership, on the ice, in the room, or in the organization.  If anything, the problem is with some of the individuals in the room and their lack of clarity of purpose.  There are several on this team that are "happy to be here."  They may be extremely talented players, and at times say the right things, but repeatedly cower when faced with hardship and sacrifice. 

These players are not capable of being led, not at this time anyway. At some point in their careers they may realize that all the money, fame and notoriety is meaningless without achieving the ultimate goal. But for now, they are too self-centered to concentrate, really seriously concentrate, on the matter at hand and sacrifice personal gains for the team's greater pursuit.  No less an expert on leadership than Gen. George S. Patton alluded to this concept in his speech to the Third Army in 1944.

"Each man must not think only of himself, but also of his buddy fighting beside him. We don't want yellow cowards in this Army. They should be killed off like rats. If not, they will go home after this war and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men. Kill off the... cowards and we will have a nation of brave men."

Now I'm not comparing the game of ice hockey to the rigors of World War II, but the concept of leadership is the same regardless.  No, the problem with this team isn't the lack of leaders, its that it has a lack of followers.  Cull the cowards from the program as Patton suggests and watch how effective the leaders that are already assembled can be.

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Ultimately though, and this is the point that no one wants to address: you have to have the players.  For all the fawning media coverage of this team locally, the real truth is that this team is still significantly flawed in several areas and honestly, just isn't good enough to compete past the level they have achieved the last few seasons.  They aren't advancing because of lack of leadership, it's because they aren't good enough yet.

Again, from Patton:

"The publicity I have been getting, a good deal of which is untrue, and the rest of it ill considered, has done me more harm than good. The only way you get on in this profession is to have the reputation of doing what you are told as thoroughly as possible."

Aynyway, here are the points I consider to be this teams biggest weaknesses.

• This team is weak physically down the middle.  Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson are both extremely talented players and supreme skaters, but lack the physicality necessary to compete with stronger players. It's no secret that if you put a body on these guys they aren't going to answer the bell, and it's more glaring in the playoffs when the sheet gets shorter. None of the Capitals centers in the playoffs except for Boyd Gordon on the fourth line had a faceoff percentage higher than 50 percent.  That's unacceptable.
• There's not nearly enough toughness on this team.  Matt Hendricks and Matt Bradley were both willing during the regular season to drop the gloves when they had to, but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about players willing to get into the corners, dig pucks out, stand in the crease and deliver a pounding.  Not take it, but deliver it.  The Capitals lose more one-on-one puck battles than any other team in the league. This team is in need of a couple of rugged wingers (and probably a defenseman as well) willing to get their noses dirty and push people around.  They don't need fighters, they need physically stronger players to give their supremely talented players more room to skate.
• There's no offensive contribution from the third and fourth lines at all.  17-of-21 goals scored by forwards in the playoffs by the Capitals were by just six players.  Look at Tampa Bay, their third line of Bergenheim, Downie and Moore have combined for 13 goals and 19 assists in 13 games.  Boston has 12 players with more than one goal in the playoffs. You don't need a 30-goal scorer on the third line, but you need contribution.  Bergenheim has made himself a LOT of money this post-season as he becomes a UFA.
• I've said this before, but I also think Bruce Boudreau needs to go back to what got him here.  He doesn't like playing the trap.  He's never implemented it before and has never taught it.  His players are ill-fitted for it and don't like it.  The lack of conviction from his players was evident because of the lack of conviction in the system by the coach.  Live by the sword or die by it.  I maintain that Boudreau allowed the Canadian media to alter his judgment on the heels of the loss to Montreal last year and the pain of the eight-game losing streak. Another thing Patton said in his address to the Third Army in 1944 applies here (forgive the rough language):

"I don't want to get any messages saying, "I am holding my position." We are not holding a thing... We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy."

• Lastly, Alex Ovechkin needs to elevate his game.  The league has "figured him out." If he wants to lead this team and become one of the greats of all-time, he's going to have to elevate his game past what it is now.  He's going to have to learn when to try to carry the puck and when to give it up.  He's going to have to dump to the opposite corner and crash the goal.  He's going to have to reign in his emotion and channel it rather than let it get the best of him.  And he needs to be in supreme shape at the beginning, middle and end of the season.

Lastly, and I know this is the hardest part of all, but I implore all Caps fans to continue exercising patience. 

There are a lot of Caps fans that have no idea how it was back in the dark days, when this team was a laughingstock or worse, an afterthought.  The Washington Capitals franchise is enjoying an unprecedented run of success and with the two best players signed long-term, there's little reason to think that run won't be continued.  This team is young, talented and managed by dedicated and knowledgeable executives. They just have some issues that still need to be addressed.

There is no reason to blow this thing up and start over.  Bringing in new coaches or executives would only delay the process, not speed it up.  At least in my opinion.

The window isn't closing, as some folks would lead you to believe, it's barely been opened.  They just have to fix the cracks.

As we slowly come out of our post-sweep funk, let's take a look at the Washington Capitals impending free agents and start the debate on whether the Caps should try to re-sign the player or part ways with them.  The Capitals have seven unrestricted free agents and two restricted (must extend "qualifying offer" to retain negotiating rights).  Ages listed for start of 2011-12 season.

Jason Arnott  37, UFA, 2010 salary $4.5 million (Season: 73 games, 17-14-31, -6, 40 PIM; Playoffs: 9 games, 1-5-6, +4, 2 PIM): Arnott had four goals and three assists in his 11 regular season games with the Caps.  Revealed in exit interviews he had knee surgery after his seventh game with the Caps post-trade, missing just 15 days and six games.

Arnott looked slow in the latter stages of the season and playoffs, and now we know the reason why.  He provided a boost to the team's leadership, as he instantly added gravitas to the room upon his arrival.  On the ice, he showed flashes of his skill, including an absolute sick play to feed Alex Ovechkin for the tying goal in Game Two against Tampa Bay.  He still carries his size and strength well, but no longer an elite skater, and the knee surgery will only hinder that.

He was able to coax Alex Semin's considerable talent out for a while, but Semin disappeared in the second round, showing "The Enigma" knows no leader.

If Arnott is willing to accept a sizable pay cut to take another legitimate chance at a Cup, the Caps should consider the idea.  But they really should try fill the No. 2 center spot with a considerably younger player.

Scott Hannan  33, UFA, $4.5 million (Season: 78 games, 1-10-11, +4, 34 PIM; Playoffs: 9 games, 0-1-1, +1, 2 PIM): Acquired in December, Hannan's not about the numbers, but about defensive responsibility.  He does a lot of things right that you can't see on TV.  He's always in the right position, and takes some of the best angles in the game to retrieve pucks. He's also one of the most durable players in the game,

Hannan's problem is that while he's game physically, and able against smaller players, he just isn't imposing despite his 6'1", 225 lbs frame, and sometimes just gets beaten in battles along the boards, as he did by the much smaller Martin St. Louis in Game Three, leading to a goal. 

Overall though, he's a terrific defender and was one of the biggest benefactors of the change in philosophy to a more defensively oriented team.  He's going to be pretty expensive to re-sign, and with the Caps stable of defensemen -- including possibly Dmitri Orlov -- this might be a spot where McPhee tries to save money and lets Hannan walk.

Marco Sturm  33, UFA, $3.5 million (Season: 35 games, 5-11-16, +6, 23 PIM; Playoffs: 9 games, 1-2-3, +1, 4 PIM):  Sturm averaged 25 goals a season from 01-02 to 09-10, minus 08-09 when he was injured, so the guy can score when healthy. Unfortunately, most of this past season he was not healthy.  He had knee surgery, probably came back to soon, then missed more time, which led to getting waived by the Kings and subsequent waiver claim by the Caps.

Sturm proved to be quite a competitor, and though and he didn't provide that secondary scoring he's always been capable in his history, he played much more physically than I expected, chipped in on the penalty kill, and was a good soldier, playing whenever and wherever Bruce Boudreau stuck him in

His once-elite speed and skating has really suffered from injuries two of the last three seasons and he's really a shell of the player he once was.  I'd be highly surprised if the Caps rolled the dice on that speed returning at this point in his career.

Brooks Laich  28, UFA, $2.066,667 (Season: 82 games, 16-32-48, +14, 46 PIM; Playoffs: 9 games, 1-6-7, even, 2 PIM): The Iron Man of the Capitals is a fan favorite, do-gooder and resident quote machine.  His goal scoring fell off this season, as did just about everyone's up front, and Laich probably suffered from bouncing between wing and center as much as anything else.  He even spent some time playing the point on the Power Play of Doom for a while, despite being the only player who would consistently park his behind in the crease with the extra man.

In all seriousness though, Laich is going to be McPhee's biggest decision this off-season.  There are already rumors floating that Toronto GM Brian Burke is going to make Laich his off-season priority, and Burke has never met a player he couldn't overpay.  Laich is an incredibly versatile player, as he can play wing or center and plays on both special teams.  He stands to at least double his paycheck, and that's where McPhee is going to have to make the call.

Many Caps fans thought Laich should have been awarded the Captain's C when it went to Ovechkin.  There could be a mini-revolt by the fan base if the Caps let him walk.

Matt Bradley  33, UFA, $1 million (Season: 61 games, 4-7-11, -3, 68 PIM; Playoffs: 9 games, 0-0-0, -3, 4 PIM): Bradley's certainly not known for his scoring, but the fourth-line center registered just one point after Feb. 14, the date of his last goal this season.  He's one of the few Caps players that's willing to mix it up and he had 10 fights this season in his 61 games.  Still, Bradley's ice time and shifts dwindled as the playoffs went on; he skated just 4:50 on seven shifts in Game Four against Tampa.

Bradley brings an element of the game when he's most feisty. But anecdotally, his spark just seemed to be missing as the season wore on.  Considering the Caps re-signed Matt Hendricks, a player three years younger and more skilled than Bradley, to do essentially the same job Bradley has for the last six seasons, the handwriting may be on the wall for the veteran winger.  Also, consider the fact that Jay Beagle could also fill the same role at half the price next season with eight year younger legs if the Caps feel they need more grit.

Boyd Gordon  28, UFA, $800,000 (Season: 60 games, 3-6-9, -5, 16 PIM; Playoffs: 9 games, 0-0-0, -1, 6 PIM): Gordon, the fourth-line center, is a faceoff specialist (8th in NHL of players with 100 or more draw), called upon to take defensive zone draws and kill penalties.  He's had a history of back problems, but played 60 games this season. 

Gordon certainly doesn't add anything to the offense but is responsible and considering the team traded away its other faceoff specialist in David Steckel, we could see the Caps re-signing him to a moderately-priced contract such as the one he played with this season.

Sean Collins  28, UFA, $650,000 (Season: 4 games, 1-0-1, +2, 0 PIM; Playoffs: 1 game, 0-0-0, even, 0 PIM): Collins spent most of the season in Hershey, where he compiled four goals and 16 assists (+29) in 73 games.  He was pressed into duty for the Capitals in the playoffs and was exposed as an AHL-level player on numerous occasions in Game Four against Tampa Bay. He just doesn't possess the speed, strength or acumen necessary at the NHL level.

Hershey could sign him as a veteran AHL defender to fill out their usually competetive roster, but he should only be used as an extreme injury replacement in the regular season, and the Caps already have Tyler Sloan signed for another year to play No. 8 defenseman next season.

Karl Alzner  23, RFA, $1.675 million (Season: 82 games, 2-10-12, +14, 24 PIM; Playoffs: 9 games, 0-1-1, -4, 0 PIM):  Alzner played every single game this season, paired with John Carlson, as the de facto top defensive pairing for the Caps.  He was on the ice when the opponent's top line was out, and was the top defender on the penalty kill.

Alzner is a classic stay-at-home defenseman and as he continues to fill out, his physical game will as well.  Something folks lose sight of is that Alzner is 6'3", but just 205, and an off-season in the weight room will help him with some of the more physical power forwards in the league, as well as possession battles in the corners and behind the goal.

As with Hannan, Alzner's positioning and angle play is sublime, well advanced for a player his age and experience.  We anticipate the Caps signing Alzner to a reasonable long-term deal this summer.

Semyon Varlamov  23, RFA, $821,667 (Season: 27 games, 11-9-5, 2.23, .924, 2 shutouts; Playoffs: 0 games): Varlamov changed his sweater number to No. 1 before the start of this season, but he couldn't stay on the ice long enough to earn the job.  He played extremely well when he was able to dress, but could only do so 27 times, watching Michal Neuvirth eclipse him in standing this season.  When the playoffs rolled around, Boudreau stuck with Neuvirth, resisting to insert Varlamov despite his past playoff success.

Varlamov has all the talent in the world, but his injury problems have kept him from playing a full season the last two years, and if the Caps think his is a chronic situation, they won't get caught up in doling out a multi-year deal for an injury-prone netminder.  McPhee has stated on numerous occasions that he values all three of the Caps young goalies (with Braden Holtby), but we could envision a scenario where GMGM trades Varlamov's rights and lets someone else worry about signing him long-term.

Varlamov's agent has also made rumblings about taking his client to the KHL, to which McPhee responded, "If he wants to go to the KHL, let him go." We think that's more of a negotiating ploy by the agent, and Varlamov has stated recently that he wants to stay in the NHL and in D.C.  But he also wants to be a starter, and the possibility of being a No. 1 goalie -- plus a possible huge contract offer from a team in his home land -- might be too much to pass up.

With all due respect to Japers Rink, here's my noon number:  .667.

That's the Washington Capitals winning percentage this season without Mike Green in the lineup this season.  With?  .526.

The Caps went 30-27 when Mike Green dressed for games (including playoffs) and 22-11 when he did not.

That's all.

It's been a little over 24 hours now since the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Washington Capitals from the Stanley Cup playoffs, finishing the four-game sweep in less-than-dramatic style Wednesday night.  I haven't written anything since the game re-cap because I was still kind of raw from the whole experience and wanted a little time to reflect.

The frustration of seeing things unfold, in the road arena, with the outcome slowly becoming evident was almost too much. Yes, I was in the press box, and I've become good at compartmentalizing things when I sit up there, but I'm still a fan at heart.  I have been since the second game in this franchise's history.

The emotional, hushed tones in the locker room after the game.  Bruce Boudreau defending his players in his post-game remarks. All knowing that the same team that couldn't find the answers against Tampa would not be back next season to try again. It's tough sometimes. I don't do this because I'm looking for a job. I do this because I love the game and love the team and as much as I try to pretend that I'm a journalist, it still sucks to lose.

We didn't make it to "clean out" day today since we were still traveling.  It never occurred to me when I hastily made our arrangements that there wouldn't be a Game Five.  I didn't think that there would be a big rush to get back.  Like most everyone else, I watched my twitter account for the quotes trickling out of Kettler, as details of injury after injury could finally be revealed.  Some I was aware of, others not. 

I was surprised at the amount of folks in my feed that thought the Caps were revealing these injuries in some sort of elaborate excuse-making exercise.  I was glad that there were others that gently explained to those that it's a necessary evil for teams to "hide" injuries during the playoffs, lest the players become targets.

For most fans, they want to see changes next season. Changes in the players, the coaches, maybe even the general manager.  There will of course be new players, there always are.  There's really no chance the Caps can afford to keep all the free agents they have on the roster. 

Jason Arnott, Brooks Laich, Scott Hannan, Karl Alzner,  Semyon Varlamov -- because of their experience or stature those guys are going to cost some real money.  Others, like Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon and Marco Sturm will be more reasonable. The question General Manager George McPhee has to ask about each of these players is where do they fit in to what he's trying to build, and in some cases, can he find a player to do the same job cheaper?

McPhee said some interesting things at the media availability today, which he usually does when he chooses to speak with the media.  He was already working on next season, even while his team was being eliminated from the playoffs.  “In my own mind, I know, and I could see it during the series and all through the playoffs what I want to do for next season, and it's crazy, even during games, I'm writing down lineups for next year based on the way things are going, the way people are playing and what we have in our organization.”

We'll have plenty of time in the coming weeks to evaluate, discuss and debate the merits of each of these impending free agents and their value to the system, but suffice to say, GMGM is going to have a long off-season.

One change I don't think needs to be made is at coach, and McPhee apparently agrees with me, as he indicated that he "expects" to have Bruce Boudreau behind the bench again next season.  It's true that Boudreau has yet to lead this team to the Cup, but he's an excellent coach, a passionate "hockey guy", and is dedicated to the organization.  Trust me, no one wants to win this thing more than he does.

He saw a problem this season and took steps to solve it, changing his long-held philosophy and transformed a high-flying offensive attack, one that far and away led the league in scoring the previous season, into a team that was fourth in the league in goals against and second on the penalty kill. It was a remarkable coaching feat, whether you agree or not it needed to be done.

This was a roller coaster of a season, with some dramatically emotional moments -- both in triumph and in defeat. We lived through the losing streak, the drama of 24/7, New Year's Eve and the Winter Classic, the elation of eliminating the Rangers, and the soul-crushing sweep to a division foe. We said goodbye to a few old friends, and welcomed new ones with open arms.

The marathon of another year of Washington Capitals hockey is over. Just like the very first one in 1974 and every single season since, still without sipping from the sport's Holy Grail. I've been there for each and every last game and the disappointment never changes. Sometimes you see it coming from farther away and can prepare for it a little better.  Sometimes, like getting swept in a four-game series that every so-called expert picks your team to win, it comes on too quickly and it slaps you in the face and kicks you in the ass.

Our solice is that in a few short months, it all starts over again.  Some of the faces will change. Veterans will be phased out, rookies will be eased in to new roles.  The core of this team gets one year closer to their athletic peak. As disappointing as the finish was with all the expectations we all placed on this team, there is one truth that Caps fans need to remember: There is a tremendous amount of young talent on this team, and throughout the organization.

Hockey is hard.  If it were easy, everyone would win a Cup. Twenty-nine teams lose every year. Be disappointed, but keep the faith. Next season will come sooner than you think.

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One final note: Thank you for reading. Thank you for following us on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you for making our words and pictures part of your experience of Washington Capitals hockey. It's endlessly satisfying, gratifying and humbling to know that people are interested in our opinion and craft -- and continue to be after experiencing it the first time.

Thank you to all the regular media that put up with an amateur like me trying to squeeze my recorder into the scrum just like they are. 

Thank you to our independent media brothers and sisters, for your excellence and dedication make us work harder and strive to be better every time we set out to post something.

And thank you to the Capitals organization -- from Ted Leonsis to George McPhee to Bruce Boudreau and all the players to Nate Ewell, Sergey Kocharov and the rest of the media relations staff -- for recognizing and understanding that independent voices are essential to critical thought and discourse, and for treating us like professionals.

"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.

Who is to blame when a team of great promise does not fulfill those expectations? It's a difficult question to answer. One on hand, you can place the blame on the coaching staff, failing to get the most out of the players. On the other, you have to place responsibility on the players that take the ice of field. Ultimately, you can lay out the most intricate, elaborate game plan know to the human mind, but the players have to perform to succeed.

Thus is the conundrum with the Washington Capitals. Every season under the guidance of coach Bruce Boudreau has ended in heartbreak. It hasn't officially happened yet, but you can see it from here. Only three teams in the sports grand history have come back from being down zero games to three.

And it hasn't been the normal variety of getting outplayed in the playoffs -- some teams are just better than others -- but it's the spectacular fashion of failure in the sport's biggest stage that had magnified and intensified the problem. Blowing a 3-1 lead to Pittsburgh in 2009. First round exit to the eighth seed in 2010. Getting swept thus far by a Southeast Division foe this season. The failure is both spectacular and uncanny.  It's been the biggest consistent in Bruce Boudreau's coaching tenure.

Where do you lay the blame?

I have been, and remain, a Boudreau supporter.  He's the reason the Caps are where they are today. He took a perennially boring, underachieving squad and turned them into the most exciting and interesting team in the NHL. But then, surrendering to criticism, he completely tore down and remodeled his structure and systems. He succumbed to the intense media scrutiny of last year's playoff disaster and a strange extended regular season losing streak, and altered not only the way this team plays, but most definitely changed its personality.

The Caps ran roughshod over the league in March, propelling themselves to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, utilizing the new tenets of defense, goaltending, and opportunistic offense. Boudreau took supremely gifted athletes and gave them a different game plan to follow, and they found success.  But the chinks in the armor were there to witness too, it was just easier to dismiss them when they were winning games.

Even in the first round series win over New York, it was still the Capitals supreme talent that ultimately won out over a lesser-skilled team. But faced with a more-skilled team with superior dedication and discipline, the Capitals are the ones being frustrated.

The mood around Tampa is strange. Lightning fans are shocked they've had this success against what they view as a superior team. But the Capitals talent is being hidden under this new system of defensive responsibility, as it has been all season long.

The players in the room after the game last night could not find answers to the questions they were posed. Maybe they're so close to the problem they can't identify it. Maybe they know but don't dare speak it. But it's evident.

"They're uncanny when they want to get a goal.  They just snap their fingers, hit a button and dial it up. You can see it's like they flipped a switch. I don't know what it is. It leaves you flabbergasted." Mike Knuble uttered those words about the Lightning last night.  They used to say that about the Caps.

The soul of this team has been crushed.  They were once the most exciting team in the league. They had a joyful, energetic, singular talent leading them on the ice and leading the league in offense.  Now, they're stuck in a system that is apparent that very few of them want to play.  They are playing undisciplined, unfocused, and without emotion. It's like asking a thoroughbred to strap on a plow.

They went from a system that was designed to win games to one that is designed to not lose games.  Playoff hockey indeed.

"We had a lot of enthusiasm and not being scared to lose, but being hungry to win." Lightning coach Guy Boucher

Tampa, FL -- Every Washington Capitals player that faced the media said the same thing in the locker room following Tuesday night's 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, putting them in a no games to three hole: "We have to be ready [in Game Four]."  The unasked question?  Why weren't they for Game Three?

The Caps surrendered leads of 2-1 and 3-2, and completely collapsed in the third period -- again -- en route to Tampa taking an almost impossible lead in this best of seven series.  Only three teams in the modern era have ever come back from being down 0-3 to win the series.

You have to give the Lightning credit.  They created a tremendous forecheck, forcing turnover after turnover, leading to a couple easy goals.  But more often than not, it was the Caps shooting themselves in the foot.  They had a goal disallowed because of another botched line change that led to a too-many-men penalty.  They managed just five shots on goal in the third period, a frame that saw Tampa take 15 shots on Michal Neuvirth.  And twice they had defensemen block their own goalie, preventing a save on a shot.

There were several damning post-game quotes, so let's start with the one that came from one of the few men in the room that has been on a Cup winner, Mike Knuble.  Referring to the Lightning, he said, "They're uncanny when they want to get a goal.  They just snap their fingers, hit a button and dial it up. You can see it's like they flipped a switch. I don't know what it is. It leaves you flabbergasted." Hmm, sounds like how the "old" Capitals used to be described.

Nick Backstrom, who did not register a shot on goal and was just 39 percent in the dot, was asked why the Caps couldn't match Tampa's intensity. "I don't know. I think we played pretty good until the third period, when we had everything in our own hands and then we just gave it away."

Karl Alzner was asked the same thing.  "It's tough to say. I don't know exactly, I can't put my finger on it. I thought we were playing good but just started to get a little too complacent.  We just took our foot off the gas for a little bit." Why would the Caps let up with a one-goal lead?  "I don't really know. I wish I knew. I just don't know what to say."

Jason Arnott echoed Alzner's thoughts, "We get up for a certain amount of time and I think that our guys think the game is over."

Flabbergasted.  Gave it away. I don't know. 

These were the responses the Capitals players came up with to describe how Tampa Bay dominated them in the third period.  They all talked about not giving up, taking it one game at a time, getting back in this series, winning Game Four and taking it back to the Verizon Center for Game Five.

But unless someone can come up with how to do so before 7:00 pm Wednesday night, the result might not be any different.  The Caps -- to a man -- don't have any answers for it.  What causes this team to simply stop doing the things they've done to secure the lead in the first place?

Maybe the Lightning are just a better team.  Maybe they are just better prepared.  Maybe the Caps lack something intangible in the collection of players and coaches they've assembled.  Maybe they have several players that just aren't committed enough to be in the right place at the right time.  Maybe some of the younger players they have relied on so heavily this season have just hit the wall.

Maybe none of that is true.  But what is true is that the Washington Capitals are now up against an historical challenge in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  All the expectations this team, this organziation, have placed upon themselves are in danger of going down the drain once again.

Maybe it goes back to the quote at the top from Boucher, the man with the master's in sports psychology.  "Not being scared to lose, but being hungry to win."  Perhaps the burden of all the expectations are just too much to bear for the men assembled.  But it was obvious watching in the third period.  The Caps were playing not to lose, not playing to win.

Instead, they turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.