Caps: Round 2, Game 7

I apologize for not doing my postgame immediately following the game, but frankly, I wasn't looking forward to it. Also, I'll be honest, I didn't pay much attention after the Penguins went up 3-0, and shortly thereafter, 4-0. After the first two I had predicted a 7-1 loss. Sadly, I wasn't far off.

From what I did actually watch of the game, it just seemed that the Caps were completely outplayed. They rarely, if ever, had prolonged possessions in the Pittsburgh zone. Almost every possession resulted in one shot and a turnover. Fleury's lucky stop early on an Ovechkin slapshot was the only good chance the Caps had before they fell hopelessly behind.

For such a high-pressure series, that went back and forth so often, it can't be surprising that one team finally fell off track. It's just disappointing that it happened in Game 7. The first six games of this series were epic, the best the NHL could have hoped for. But Game 7 was a pretty big dud, and it's a shame.

No loss is easy to take, and a close loss is very hard, because you can question all the small things that could have swayed the game. It's almost easier that they lost in such a spectacular fashion, rather than a grind out game that went to OT like last year. However, after the initial disappointment, at least if it was close, the Caps could be proud of playing hard in one of the greatest series of recent playoff history.

Oh well, at least, with a team this talented and this young, there is always next season. To the best of my knowledge, none of the key players' contracts are up this season, and there is a lot of team unity. The Caps have adopted as system of building their talent through their minor leagues and not buying already developed talent from elsewhere. Of course, there are some exceptions, but most of the players seem to have bought into this organization, and I think it is unlikely that any will leave lightly.

Possible departures for the offseason are most notably Federov and possibly Theodore. I would be very surprised if he is awarded more than the backup role, and even that could be unlikely with Nueverth and Brent Johnson in the wings. Theodore has another year on his contract, but it would not surprise me for him to ask to be traded, and if the Caps can any half-decent offers for him, for the trade to go through. That second part might be a bit tricky, since it's pretty obvious that the Caps are not in need of Theodore, at least not at his pay-rate.

Federov is a bit of an enigma to me. He could retire, but he still has the skills and the speed to play at this level. Also, he came in to this system recently, and I'm sure, isn't as tied to Washington as the rest of the team. However, I'm also sure that Ted Leonsis and Bruce Boudreau would love nothing more than to keep Federov around as a senior leader, and have him retire in a few years as a Cap.

Also, with the playoffs over for the Caps, this blog is likely to slow down a bit. There's only so much I can write about the Nats winning an occasional game, and losing most. But we shall see. My goal is to write at least one article a week. I trust you (my probably 2 or 3 loyal readers) to give me grief if I start slipping in my task.

Until next time,

-TES