The collective thought process going through the Capitals fan base after Monday Night's series clinching win over the Blue Jackets was a sarcastic "Here we go again". For the third straight year, the Capitals will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Caps fans let the hockey world know how they feel about this match up the only way they know how to deal with their emotions. Cynical passive aggressiveness. Caps fans are inundating the DC Sports landscape with sayings like "Get ready for another Game 7 loss", "I guess the Pens win the cup again this year", and "We better win in 5 games, otherwise we are not winning the series". Caps fans already resigned themselves to being disappointed once they saw that a black and gold 87 would be on the opposing side in the second round, but the fan base's cynicism is not without warrant. The numbers for the Caps vs. Pens playoff history have been bandied about over the past 48 hours, and none really favor the Capitals (quick note: most of these numbers came from Pensburgh Blog. Please check it out for a good history of this playoff match up). The Capitals are 1-9 against the Pens all time in playoff series, yet they are 8-2 in Game 1 of those series and they blew a 2-0 series lead in 2009. The Pens are 4-0 against the Caps in Game 7's, and they are 11-2 against the Caps in playoff overtime games. Finally, in all five (yes, get depressed Caps fans, FIVE) of Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup Championship runs they have defeated the Capitals en route to the promised land. All of these numbers equate to good reasons for Caps fans to be cynical about this upcoming match up, but there is only one number that should be coursing through the Capitals' mind right now. One.
The number one should be on the Capitals' minds because for the first time in the playoffs it feels as if the Caps have that one thing, that one guy, that all Stanley Cup Contenders seem to have once the playoffs roll around. They have that one hot goaltender who finds his stride come the playoffs. They have that one guy who comes out of nowhere to make significant contributions no one saw coming (Chandler Stephenson). They have that one guy everyone forgot was really good, and now is showing everyone why he is really good through playoff production (John Carlson). They have that one line that seems to have "it" whenever they are on the ice, and one that can give production outside of the superstars on the team (Connolly-Eller-DSP). They have that one guy who is not going to take shit from anybody and prove it by knocking heads and putting points on the board (Tom Wilson). They have that one superstar who can come through in the clutch (Nick Backstrom). They have the one superstar who has proven why he is the greatest in the most important game of the playoffs to date. Finally, the Caps have that one thing that has been lacking in all other playoff runs this past decade. Grit. These Capitals have a sense about them this year that they will never give up. It has been honed throughout the season and it was on full display in the series against Columbus. The 2-0 comeback, the double overtime goal in Game 3, the relentless penalty kill the last 4 games, Backstrom's OT redirect goal in Game 5, Stephenson's short handed goal in Game 6. All of this shows how this Capitals team will not be fazed by adversity as easily has they have been in the past, and that is a good thing because the one thing that is most important in this upcoming series with the Pens is more tangible than grit. Winning.
All it will take is one victory. One time for Alex Ovechkin to get the better of his nemesis to make the fan base believe in themselves again. It does not matter how many times the Penguins have ousted the Capitals in the past, all the Caps need to do is win this one series against their most hated rival to give the fan base back some dignity. One time where Caps fans get to celebrate in their own building, their own city, and not have to watch this travesty again. There have been too many times over the past decade where Caps fans' hopes have been dashed in gut wrenching fashion in the playoffs, but all of those don't matter now. All that matter is that the Caps win this one series, one game at at time, to give Caps fans something to come back at Pens fans with when the discussion of playoff success comes up. The Caps need to win this one series so that Ovechkin can say he got the better of Sidney Crosby at least once when it really mattered. Finally, the Caps need to win this one series in order to break the playoff futility of all DC Sports in order to give the fan base the one thing they want. The chance to see their team play for a championship.
Showing posts with label Caps Pens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caps Pens. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Saturday, May 13, 2017
The Capitals Motto: I Will Remember Before I Forget
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.
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.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Ovechkin's Possible Farewell Speech
The Capitals have been built around the greatest goal scorer of his generation, and he needs to be the one to deliver the speech that could possibly bring the Capitals back from elimination. The speech, though, needs to be more heartfelt and emotional rather than a rah rah type speech. You would assume that over the past four games the Capitals have gotten in each others' faces, called out people's names, broken enough sticks on their lockers, and used the F-word like its going out of style that another speech like that would ring hollow at a time like this. Ovechkin needs to be the one to address the whole team tonight in a way that gives the team a renewed sense of brotherhood, and in my opinion here is how it should go:
"Alight boys, listen. Tonight could be our last game together so listen closely. I've had some pretty good success in my career: Heart Trophies, Rocket Richard Trophies, goal scoring milestones, but I have never been a team champion at the highest level. For all my success, I have never been able to inspire the teams I have played on enough to win it all. That is why I am skating with Lars and Willy tonight, because my play so far has not lived up to the "C" I wear on my sweater or the pedigree I have built. I asked to switch lines [this is just an assumption on my part but just go with it] because Bura has been killing it and I have been dragging TJ and Nicky down so far this series. I have to face reality that I am not the goal scorer I was 10 years ago. Think about that Nick [Ovechkin looks at Nick Backstrom in a reminiscent way]. Ten Years together. The Young Guns, remember? Hmfh, Not so young now, I guess. Right John? Karl? Beags? Ten years. Some players don't get half that time to play together in this league, but we have had the privilege to be on the same team for Ten Years. And we have been able to bring up guys like you Schmidtty......Kuzy..... Bura.........Willy.....Orly.....Holts........[Ovechkin looks at each one of them in the eye] you guys haven't been here as long but this is the only NHL team you have ever known. You guys have put on a red sweater for your entire NHL career and not thought twice about it. And when TJ, Justin, Winnik, Nisky, Brooks, Shatty, Lars, when you guys came in it was like we never missed a beat. We're a family, but we know what is coming. Most of us will not be here next year. The family is getting broken up after this season whether we win or not. Ten years, Nick. Ten years could be over tonight. It will be over no matter what after these playoffs. Which is why I ask you to play for that. Fuck the Stanley Cup. I want those ten years to last a little longer. I want to play with the best team I have ever played with a little bit longer. I want to see TJ score from the slot as many times as I can, I want to see Karl shut down the other team's best line, I want to see Willy check people as hard as he can, I want to see Kuzy make some ridiculous move and put a wrister over the goalie's glove, I want to see Winnik forecheck the shit out of the other team's top line, or Shatty unload some ridiculous shot from the point. That is what I want, boys. I don't want Ten Years to end. I want to keep the only team I have ever known together for a little bit longer. I'm playing tonight because I want to see all of you wear that red sweater for as long as possible. I'm not playing tonight for any trophy. I'm playing for my brothers who I want to keep here as long as I can. From now on we play for each other, and if that means we get out of this series alive, then we know we have already won, because we get to have those Ten Years last one more game. Let's go boys."
That is the route I would take with this speech, but that is just me. And Ovi, since I know you read this blog religiously, please feel free to use any part of this you would like.
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