No tears shed, friends -- Fun Season

[Ridley Simon]

I'm strangely very zen about what just happened. It was a thrilling ride, that ended in a crash. But what a thrilling ride it was.

Lots to feel good about, and looking forward to the off season and next year. Their biggest weakness, as shown this series (skill up front) will organically grow next season. Kuznetsov, Burakovsky, and Wilson (and even Johansson) will one day raise a Cup.... after being handed it by Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Holtby.

Raise a glass to the Caps tonite, and smile a little but for the fun ride we all just enjoyed. Even if the ending was bitter.

Cheers everyone

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[CapitalsCupReality]

Not really. Not fun, just more wasted emotional investment. If the Caps were a girlfriend I would have dumped her years ago to save the drama.

Bring on the next season of heartache and disappointment. I can't wait. Bright spot of the season, not spending $8k on season tickets and another $2k on playoff tickets.

 

[g00n]

Unless you have an exciting team like the early BB years the regular season is a long, brutal grind JUST to get to where we were tonight...and in Games 5 and 6 for that matter. Those are the moments that matter if you're putting up with boring for-your-own-good "heavy game" hockey. It's supposed to be worth it. It's supposed to pay off. It didn't.

So yeah, this year was better than last, but as many of us believed, even last year's team should've made the playoffs with at least a competent coach. Hell, they nearly got in with a terrible one.

One massively expensive defense, a Vezina-caliber goaltender, a genuine NHL coach, and a scoring champion ...all with a 3-1 series lead...seems like a combination that most teams would kill for and that should produce. And this was supposed to be the team that bucks history. "They're not the same" we heard. Guess again.

I'm more enthusiastic about some of the young talent than I am with how this season turned out. We had a shot and blew it. We can blame the refs some, but we still had chances. It will not sit well.

 

[John Price]

It was probably lost in the barrage of GDT comments but this is my first season actually going to the games and having a season ticket package and all, so I was able to go to a bunch of events including the Winter Classic and I enjoyed this 40th anniversary season a lot. I'm just sad it ended like it did.

Am definitely amped for the next season and another shot at the cup

 

[John Price]

Not really. Not fun, just more wasted emotional investment. If the Caps were a girlfriend I would have dumped her years ago to save the drama.

Bring on the next season of heartache and disappointment. I can't wait. Bright spot of the season, not spending $8k on season tickets and another $2k on playoff tickets.

Why do you need lower bowl or 200 level seats? Mine are in the 400's I don't give a ****. And they cost a lot less than 8k.

 

[John Price]

There is way too much negative about this loss. I am sad and I am a fan too just like the rest of you but I choose to remember the good times. They always showed heart...even in Game 6 where they came out flat as ****. Every goal was decided by 1 game. This series could have gone either way.

I am very sad and I won't be able to go to Caps games anymore for like 4 months but whatever, I got over it. We got outplayed by a better team. It happens. Everything that happened was our fault. We wanted to win that, close it out in 5 or 6 like the Lightning did. It's all on them, they'll hopefully learn. Nothing to be negative about. Go out there tomorrow, life goes on. No need to "give up sports" or be overly dramatic or call for a total implosion. A few players have got to go, that's it. Replace them with better ones and try again next year.

 

[Hivemind]

I don't even think they were really outplayed for most of the series. Both teams had their pushes, but it was generally pretty even. They lost to the best goalie of this generation who played out of his mind for 7 games, especially in the last few. We should marvel that Holtby managed to go blow for blow with Lundqvist for as long as he did.

 

[artilector]

Yeah, I'm zen, too -- it was a good season, and better-than-expected playoff run.

With Kuz and Bura there's a lot to look forward to, things are on the upswing

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

It sucks losing and especially in the most agonizingly way possible but I am proud of the team.

I'll wear this torment like a badge of honour and when the day finally comes when the Universe is turned upside down and they win a Cup, it'll be that much sweeter.

 

[John Price]

The sad thing is the DC media as they are wont to do will rip this team apart and spew negativity like they often do on sports talk radio. No one there knows anything about hockey and they're all hacks. All they want to do is insult this team and call them "choking dogs", both 1067 and 980. And I feel a lot of people pick up on that negative vibe that this city is cursed.

Neil Greenberg, on his radio show, brought up a Boz column which was praising all the sports in this town and dismissing the notion of a DC curse. Many cities would be lucky to have teams that regularly make the playoffs like the Caps, Wizards, and Nationals. These are three good franchises right here. So Boz's point is...enjoy the ride. I've seen so many people today come out of the woodwork to troll or bash this team or say it's the same old story. It doesn't feel like it. It feels different this time.

I think I might avoid Kornheiser tomorrow.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Guys, at this time of the year in 2014, we were on the golf course, without a coach or a GM to guide this team.

Burakovsky was playing in Erie, Ovechkin was being ripped by the media for his +/- , Holtby was a shaky goalie and we had no hope for this team.

At the beginning of the season, I didn't think we would come close to making the playoffs. I thought that Orpik and Niskanen had completely set back the franchise with their horrid contracts.

It was a good season, we have a ton of talented kids. Nearly everyone on the team has progressed a lot. I have more faith in Trotz and GMBM than all the idiots we've had in the past 40 years.

This team can only get better.

 

[John Price]

Trotz was decent but big get was Mitch Korn. Also GMBM made big moves in getting Niskanen and Orpik here. Eager to see what else he can do.

 

[Portable Mink]

fml.

 

[Mickstix]

Yea, sans the epic/expected/inevitable 3 game choke, 2 of which we scored 1st in, the season was about as good as could be expected.. BMac needs to rid the team of quite a few "passengers" in the offseason!!

And Bura/Kuzy need to hit the weights and come out strong next year!!

 

[FloridaCap]

Kuzy playing so incredibly well in the playoffs is the only thing that stopped me from being pissed at another choke job.

Kid was a ROOKIE this year and he was still THAT good in the ****ing playoffs.

 

[Monsterrain]

Kuzy playing so incredibly well in the playoffs is the only thing that stopped me from being pissed at another choke job.

Kid was a ROOKIE this year and he was still THAT good in the ****ing playoffs.

Yeah hes about the only reason this loss doesnt hurt as much as the others. We have a future with him and bura.

 

[PucksInDeep]

This was the 8th best regular season result in Capitals franchise history (by regular season points percentage).

Getting to OT in Game 7 of round 2 is the 3rd best playoff finish in Capitals history.

Very excited to see what Kuzy/Bura/Vrana/Wilson/Schmidt/Orlov/Bowey/Barber/Carrick and more can do next season. Hopefully a few of the others can join Kuzy/Bura as big time NHL players.

 

[Acallabeth]

Yeah. Fun season. Real defense, elite goaltender, Ovechkin as the best plaer in the world at times, kids growing. I appreciate that. Could have been much worse. We made it to the Game 7 OT against the best team in the East in the 2nd round.
This was the 1st season for our new GM and coach too. Get rid of the dead weight and go for it again.

The thing is the team is capable of so much more. Even this roster.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

I didn't even watch because I knew how this would turn out.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Proud of the team, but not the NHL. NBCS and The NHL Network won't be getting my money next year. I guess I'll miss some televised games, but I can't take their crap anymore. I never thought I would miss ESPN hockey coverage. Heck, I will take Hughson and Simpson any day over NBCS and that is saying a lot. I don't like to complain about officiating, but it is becoming unbearable and makes the league look bad. I'm not talking about the Caps coverage either. The entire NHL is becoming a joke. I don't care about the winter classics, the all star game, or World Cup, just win the only cup that matters. The Caps are closer than ever before, but the slow starts need to stop, otherwise another game 7 loss next year. I'm saying it now. Caps win the President's Trophy next season while the NYR and Pens fail to qualify. The only team I see being a thorn is Columbus who could beat us. In a way I'm relieved. Last night was the most intense emotion I've had with the Caps in 32 years. When the NYR scored, I can honestly say all that emotion left. I didn't even get mad.

 

[TheProspector]

Worse teams leave the playoffs in OT in the 7th game of the 2nd round.

I wouldn't tear the team up much. The Rangers are a great team, and the Caps deserved to win the series in seven verrrry close games. The talent level is there, and the outcome is a crapshoot when every game is decided by one goal.

 

[Langway]

One massively expensive defense, a Vezina-caliber goaltender, a genuine NHL coach, and a scoring champion ...all with a 3-1 series lead...seems like a combination that most teams would kill for and that should produce. And this was supposed to be the team that bucks history. "They're not the same" we heard. Guess again.

I'm more enthusiastic about some of the young talent than I am with how this season turned out. We had a shot and blew it. We can blame the refs some, but we still had chances. It will not sit well.

Agree with this. Time passing is unlikely to change that stance.

The players and even the style that let them down was not much of a surprise. Some may have not expected Backstrom to turn into a non-factor but the trendlines there have been concerning. The same goes for their breakout and PP. We've all said enough about the 'supporting cast' otherwise.

Time will tell if this was truly the beginning of building something special or just the beginning of another period of being excellent at doing just enough until that mindset doesn't get it done. MacLellan & Trotz had a fairly bold first off-season. They'll need to follow it up with another one and not just in making the right personnel moves but in realizing the shortcomings of certain tactical dogmas.

 

[g00n]

I think we are going to see a lot more youth

 

[RandyHolt]

It was a fun year, but with the predictable ending. From the PP drying up, to the game 7 loss. To my chip count, me on tilt.

It was hard to watch how the other playoff teams were able to break out and move through neutral getting passes at full speed. Have a real NHL looking transition game. I am not sure how much of that is the grinders holding us back. Some of that is coaching, if not, GMing.

We were relegated to continually chipping at the center red to break out. I mean dump it in. It's a credit to Holtby Ovi Kuz Ward Bura and Chimera that were able to get as far as we did. Individual stuff.

I think the Rangers are a decent blue print for us. Their forwards impressed me to no end, Fast Hayes one after another just completing passes in our zone right in our face, moving away from the puck into passing lanes. Everything at a fast pace. We had to have the sloppiest offense of all the playoff teams.

We can get more plodders and play it heavy, but then expect no breakout and be forced to live on the PP once again.

 

[BobRouse]

I'm strangely very zen about what just happened. It was a thrilling ride, that ended in a crash. But what a thrilling ride it was.

Lots to feel good about, and looking forward to the off season and next year. Their biggest weakness, as shown this series (skill up front) will organically grow next season. Kuznetsov, Burakovsky, and Wilson (and even Johansson) will one day raise a Cup.... after being handed it by Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Holtby.

Raise a glass to the Caps tonite, and smile a little but for the fun ride we all just enjoyed. Even if the ending was bitter.

Cheers everyone

Right on Rids.

They played with heart and determination beyond any Caps team I remember and fell just short and deserved a better fate.

Vrana and Bowey along with Orlov, Schmidt and the growth of guys like Kuz, Wilson and Burakovsky should bode well.