In a season that looked like it was lost in the first half of it, the Washington Capitals came back with a vengeance and should have been on pace for a strong Cup run. However, the scouting report of getting in front of the shots is something the New York Rangers took to heart and in almost a repeat of the 2009 series against the Penguins; a close played series ended with the Capitals being blown out in Game Seven.
A big part of this was how Alex Ovechkin, who was up and down with his own scoring, was shut down and really ineffective in most aspects. That's not to say he didn't show his worth, throwing his body around-- but that's not his job and regardless of what is to be said-- he didn't show up. Nicklas Backstrom said that his performance was embarrassing and when Joel Ward is the leading scorer in the playoffs-- you can say that the rest of the offense needs to heed this as a big wake-up call.
With Mike Green being injured and still being able to produce is a good sign for him personally, while John Carlson is still growing and a great asset, especially paired with Karl Alzner. Alzner is a RFA and if the Caps want to have a stalwart stay-at-home guy; they'd be wise to sign him before an offer sheet can happen. That money could come with Jeff Schultz's falling out with the organization and probably getting him amnestied out of his last year of his contract.
Goaltending should be a great duel, as Michel Neuvirth and Braden Holtby will be doing battle and considering they are both in DC for the next two years, it could be a great tandem or just a battleground for controversy. Not to mention, Philipp Grubauer coming up the pipeline, the Caps goaltending stockade is solid-- but is it enough to give them a solid Kolzig-esque presence??
If the Caps were to get a full year out of Adam Oates's system, it could be a solid year from start to finish for the Caps, should they all buy in. You could see how they bought in during the season and it worked wonders. It's a matter now of whether or not the Caps can actually get it done in the playoffs, something they haven't truly done since 1998.
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