Well, the Washington Capitals worst fear came true. They became the first team in the NHL's modern playoff format to blow a 3-1 series lead as the number one seed.
The Caps could never successfully solve Montreal's goaltender, who turned into the second coming of Patrick Roy. Alex Ovechkin played with incredible energy throughout the game, and anybody who blames him for the loss or says he can't handle pressure really is immune to athletics. Stand up, Tracee Hamilton. I'm talking about you.
The lack of the Caps role players in this series led to their demise. Alexander Semin and Mike Green were non-existent, although, in Semin's defense he was totally snake bit. Semin was on the wrong end of a couple posts, and a goaltender that stopped everything that came his way.
Green's exploits led to all of the goals Montreal scored in game seven. There was his useless crosscheck in the first period that led to a Montreal power play goal, the overskate of the puck to leave it just laying there begging for a Canadien to pick it up and score an easy goal, and the waste of offense he proved to show throughout the series.
Green will certainly be the subject of trade talks this summer. If he isn't, then the Capitals will be fooling themselves. He's an overrated defensemen who may be the best scoring defensemen in the game, but with all of the other firepower on the team they don't truly need him to succeed. The Caps are in need of a defensemen who can shut other players down without any letdowns, and Green is certainly not that guy. However, since Green does possess unique skills, there are certainly teams that would be willing to give up good players for him.
The only thing that may keep Green around is his immense popularity in town---especially with the female crowd. Green is young, cool, and an NHL hockey player. That will keep you in female circles for awhile.
The Caps game seven loss was not a surprise. This town is cursed when it comes to sports, and this was just another case of a massive let down. I wrote yesterday that the game was a massive turning point in Caps history, and they totally blew it. They had a chance to win this town over outright and they let it slip through their fingers. The bandwagon will certainly die down for a little bit now, and if the Redskins get better next year look out. As long as Ovechkin and his other comrades are on the team there will be certain excitement at the Verizon Center. The problem is we are past that point, and DC is a city full of fair weather fans. Winning will be what keeps them interested in a sport like hockey.
The Caps blew it---AND THEY KNOW IT, TOO
Ouch baby, very, VERY ouch. And I agree with the Ovie sentiment: just because the guy misses an optional skate doesn't mean he can't lead. Is it a factor? Sure. But if some of the other players gave as much on the ice as Ovie they might've won the game.
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