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This is my sentiment when talking about the Washington Capitals.
I have never been so wrong so many times.
I picked them to get beat in the first round and they win in five games. I then change my mind on them, something I should not have done, and they get steamrolled by Tampa Bay.
So here is where I admit my failure, but for a team that went through the changes this team went through it was hard to predict anything they might do, let alone who they might beat.
The Capitals were a changed team this year. After scoring a league best 313 goals in 2009-10, an average of 3.82 goals per game, the Capitals only scored 219 goals this season, an average of 2.67, and good for only 19th in the league.
On the flip side, and amid criticism for not being a defensively responsible club in years past, the Capitals allowed 36 less goals this season, putting them 4th in the league in that category only behind Vancouver, Boston, and Nashville.
So to say they changed the way they played is a gargantuan understatement. They went from Bruce Boudreau to Jacques Lemaire in one season – except the pudgy foul mouthed coached was still behind the bench.
Alex Ovechkin saw his goal total drop from 50 in 09-10 to 32 this season. Backstrom went from 33 to 18, while Semin dropped from 40 to 28. These are highly skilled players that like to score, and like to score a lot. I have to wonder if the defensive system that Boudreau installed in this team didn’t sit well with some of the high priced talent.
Birds were meant to spread their wings and fly, and these bald eagles were pretty well kept in captivity and forced to play in a system that doesn’t suit their game. Much like Gaborik in Minnesota and now New York, Ovi, Backstrom, and Semin aren’t meant to play in a system where defence is first and foremost. .
It might work on some teams, but for the Caps, it just didn’t.
Like trying to stick a square peg into a round hole.
It doesn’t help either that the team was relying on an unproven 23 year old goaltender to take them to the promise land. Neuvirth didn’t play bad but he was outplayed mightily by a guy almost twice his age in the recent sweep to the Lightning.
Experience helps.
They can’t and won’t blow up the team by trading Ovi and Backstrom. Semin and Mike Green both have a year left on their respective contracts and Ovi will try his hardest to make sure both are re-signed.
They have a lot of pieces of a good team, but maybe it’s the message that needs to be changed. And so, it might be that swashbuckling sailor Bruce Boudreau who feels the Ted Leonsis wrath this offseason.
Four straight early playoff exits, all with Boudreau in charge.
Same coach, different tactics, same outcome. Boudreau should walk the plank.
And I’m sure he’ll sound something like this when he leaves.
Getting back to my original thought.
I read an article saying that said the Caps “destroyed” the Rangers in a quick five game series. Clearly this columnist did not pay much attention to the series. Games one and four were decided in OT, while every other game was decided by one or two goals. The Rangers could have easily been ahead 3-1 in that series if not for a couple bounces. Anyone who paid attention to the series knows it was anything but a blowout and a very tight five game series.
We could have easily been having this conversation a week ago.
Either way, the Caps have a lot to ponder in another long off-season.
Newman
JERSEY FOULS
twitter.com/TSRNewman
thesportsroundup@gmail.com
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