Congrats to the Rangers on locking down the series and closing it out quickly. I don't think it was the lopsided victory that some fans are making it out to be, but credit where credit is due, the Rangers didn't mess around and got the job done decisively. I didn't expect the Caps to win the series, but I was hoping they would win a game or two and make it more competitive. They played with some grit, but with aging veterans, inexperienced youth, and a decimated defense, it just wasn't in the cards.
I still think the playoff chase was valuable for the young players (and fun for fans) and even though they got swept, the playoff experience will still be beneficial. I'm interested to see what kind of moves the Caps will make going into next year and hope they can challenge for the playoffs again.
Also, I see a bunch of Pens fans in here claiming that the Pens are in a better position going into next season than the Caps. Both teams are no longer challenging for a Cup, but the Caps are set up for the future with more young players, prospects, draft picks, and cap space. It's going to be a while before the Caps will be competing for a cup again, but it will be even longer for the Penguins.
Ovie did not play like his normal playoff self and looked more like what we saw in the beginning of the year. At 38 he's not capable of putting the team on his back like the old days, but he should have still been able to find a way to contribute. I don't think he is washed, so something else was clearly wrong. Maybe a nagging injury or the accumulation of too many minutes for his age. It's pretty low of posters on here to be taking pot shots at him with little regard for what he has accomplished in his career. All it shows is the severity of their ignorance.
@TheSmokingMan I know you responded to me in the other thread which was since closed. Is Oshie wrong then? Genuinely curious, not trying to be a smartass.
@Jauffre As far as the Oshie hit, I still think it was a borderline headshot and should have been penalized. It was a bit more ambiguous than some of the more egregious headshots, but we've seen less be penalized. The Refs called EVERYTHING else, so it's puzzling that they would put the whitles away on that one. That said, if Oshie is saying it wasn't a bad hit, then I'm willing to defer to him. The Rempe hit on TVR is a different story.