They have the 2nd and maybe 3rd best player in the league. So no, they haven't dropped the ball that dramatically.
Ok.....so they are still considered some of the best players in the league regardless...still not a comparison for the likes of Backstrom and Semin.
Since you are a Capitals fan, you may not have heard of our woes for the past 10 years with the Tambo/Lowe/MacT era.I'll try to not be too long as I've posted something similar in another thread.
No question McD is a great player. Yet the Oil have had top picks for like a decade and are near the bottom of the West. It's more a question of Oiler mgt than McD. Curious what there fans are saying on HF about the owner/ GM/ HC. I don't see how you can explain the current Oil position in the standings w/ "their PP is a joke". How? Is McD all they got from top picks year after year after...
Ovi had little to work with in his first few seasons in the NHL and had to adjust to the NHL, culture, language, etc. He was a superstar from the get go. Those above that suggested he has needed more help than Sid to perform are making garbage posts. One on one Ovi was, maybe still is the more dynamic player. Better scorer, much better hitter. He's also 2 years older. Sid has had the luxury of playing with a truly great C, so that opposing teams couldn't put there best defenders solely on 87. Exchange Ovi and Malkin and Ovi most likely has 3 SC. Sid has won Olympic goal. BFD, and I'm not disparaging the Olympics. Even casual fans know that with pros (or w/o) the Canadian team is stacked.
The never beyond second round comments are never mentioned in context. Only when Holtby arrived have the Caps had a top goalie and he was off last playoffs. Sure, Caps were upset in 2010 (so were SC champ Pens by the same team). The Pens had to go through the Caps in tough series in every one of their three SCs. If the NHL didn't use bizarre seeding at least one or two of those seasons they might have meet in the ECF.
Never for a five year span. And even then some argued that Crosby was the one better to build around to win.
No doubt I follow the East closer than the West. Here and there I've read about the Oilers problems, just don't focus on it.
They could have a run later this season that might be too late, but give an idea of what they could do the following season. Then again they might continue to disappoint. 
We wouldn't say "its about time" cause we made it as far as the Capitals last year and that's what we expect from here on in lolNo doubt I follow the East closer than the West. Here and there I've read about the Oilers problems, just don't focus on it.
There can be negative and positive anomalies or variance from expected performance. Put another way, next season the Oilers might be high in the standings and look like contenders. Fans will think - where did they come from or well, it's about time
Players like Vrana are coming along and the Ovi-Backstrom-Wilson line has been playing well
Does it have to be a 5 year span? Is that the standard? From 2008-10, it was a well known and agreed upon thing that Ovechkin was the best player in the world. His suspension in 2010 costs him more hardware, including a third straight Hart. But from 2012 on, Crosby hit his stride big time, but it was cut short due to injuries. All while Ovechkin maintained his top goal scoring form for a few years. Crosby has definitely maintained a higher level and better all around play than Ovechkin during the last few years, but before that, it was Ovechkin.
