One resounding message from the Capitals locker room Wednesday Night was that the team was angry. Angry that they let the best assembled team in the Ovechkin era go to waste yet again. Angry that they had to exit the playoffs before even getting a chance to play for a championship yet again. Angry that despite the resounding sentiment that the Capitals had all the momentum going into Game 7 they let their nemesis best them yet again. And with all this anger, what better motto to adopt for the Capitals to explain that anger than a line from a Slipknot song. The Capitals Game 7 collapse can be comprehended through the lens of this motto. This motto also should be adopted by the fan base as well because this motto could define what we see out of the support for the Capitals from the fans in this area going forward. Capitals fans and the organization stand at a crossroads, and it is this saying, "I will remember before I forget", that needs to be addressed at this point to see how this pivotal point in franchise history could shape the team going forward.
Game 7 proved that for all the talk from the team about how they had forgotten their playoff past, they remembered it more than they thought. The Capitals dominated the Penguins in the first period in every facet except for the score, and a little tick in the back of their head started to creep in. They launched a fury of shots that did not go in, and Shattenkirk's PP shot that rang off the post started to weigh on them. Then Bryan Rust scored in the second off of a poor clearing attempt and there was this looming sense of dread that filled the Capitals. It was happening again. They started to press more, pass too much, and not return the favor when the Penguins made horrendous exits out of their zone. This dread grew to a crescendo when Patrick Hornqvist scored in the third period and there was this visceral reaction of defeat from the Capitals. The fans could feel it through the TV. The Capitals play in the last 15:00 of Game 7 showed that the memory of all the playoff collapses were still lurking in their subconscious waiting to be awoken again like some hibernating animal. Everyone watching had the same reaction, "This cannot be happening again", and unfortunately the Capitals embodied that notion. The weight of every playoff collapse in the Ovechkin era was on display Wednesday night in the last 15:00 of Game 7 and it shows that the Capitals have not forgotten anything about the past. The problem is compounded by the fact that the fans have not forgotten as well.
Everyone knew it in the back of their mind. Even before the game when fans said that the Capitals have this game in hand it came with a certain break in the voice. A certain change of pitch. A certain lowering of tone that would make someone think that if it was said too loud that it would conjure the devil. For all the prognosticators saying this was a different team, there was the cynical fan that had an equivocation to go along with their optimism. Some brought up Jaroslav Halak. Some brought up all the stats about how the Penguins own the Caps in the playoffs. Some brought up the Caps abysmal Game 7 record. It was clear that the fans have not forgotten all the past playoff failures of this franchise and that is a problem. It is a problem because this fan base is beginning to expect a return on their investment. The "Rock the Red" era was built on fans who wanted to ride the hot ticket (myself included) and they sure got it from the Capitals. But that regular season success has now translated into entitlement. These Caps fans feel as if they built this team themselves and that their loyalty has been betrayed time and again by these playoff failures, the worst of which came in Game 7 on Wednesday Night. They remember all the playoff failures and they are apt to bring them up when suggesting the Capitals trade Ovechkin and blow up the team because their fandom has not been rewarded. These fans have forgotten a most dire period in Capitals history, and it is relevant at the current time where the fans and the franchise face an uncertain future.
The fan base needs to remember the dark times. They need to remember what happened the last time the team sold off all of their superstars and finished next to last in the Easter Conference between 2003-2007. The fans need to ask themselves if it is worth possibly giving up these playoff runs for three to five years to rebuild after trading someone like Ovechkin, Backstrom, or both. And how loyal will some of these fans be if the Capitals are a shell of their former selves due to trading away their superstars? Will they be willing to support a team that may not make the playoffs for a few years? The fans need to ask themselves these questions before they start spouting off about how this team needs to be blown up. They also should consider it when this team will be losing some of the main pieces that have allowed them to the Presidents Trophy over the last two years. The "Rock the Red" era is officially over, and we will now see how many fans are willing to remember the success this team has had before they forget it. If not we may see the exodus of the portion of the fan base that was on board because for the experience and not true fandom.
As the fan base needs to remember the dark times, the team needs to forget them. This team will stay relatively intact for next season, and it is obvious that they have internalized all these playoff defeats. They need to forget them as best they can. Trotz's comments may have rubbed the media the wrong way, and laughter may not have been the best choice of words, but his message needs to be adopted by the team. The team needs to forget these defeats and remember that they are one of the most talented teams in the league, and they will still be even with the departure of some of these free agents this off season. They need to release these internal demons if they expect to ever conquer them, and this Game 7 loss will probably take the entire of season to recover. The team, tough, needs to ask themselves whether they will let this loss define who they are, or if they will forget all the losses and start a new narrative come next season. The "Rock the Red" era is over, but if the remaining players carry the same baggage with them then all that will leave is the name. The results will be the same if the Capitals remember before they forget all these playoff losses.
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