In each of the previous four postseasons, the Washington Capitals lacked at least one key ingredient all successful teams possess.
In 2008, they didn’t have enough experience to finish off the Flyers.
Capitals have several factors going their way during the 2012 NHL playoffs
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Caps face offseason uncertainty
The future of Dale Hunter is one of several tough questions facing the team’s decision makers.
Assessing the Capitals’ season
For all of the steps forward the Capitals took in reinventing themselves as a gritty, hard-working, defensive-oriented team under Dale Hunter’s guidance as coach, the result didn’t change.
Capitals stopped short in Game 7
New York scores on its first shot of the night just 1:32 in and never looks back as the Capitals fail to generate enough scoring opportunities and fall one victory shy of their first berth in the conference finals since 1998.
Capitals lose series, gain identity
OPINION | Though Game 7 was another heart-wrenching defeat for Washington, the Capitals may have finally found what they’ve been looking for: a team identity.
PHOTOS | Capitals’ run ends in the Garden
New York eliminates the Capitals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, 2-1
Poll: How to frame Caps’ season?
After the 2-1 Game 7 loss to the Rangers in second round, is Washington’s 2011-12 season a failure?
In 2009, they didn’t have enough killer instinct to put away the Penguins in Game 7.
In 2010, they didn’t have enough mental fortitude against the Canadiens, despite bringing home a 3-1 series lead.
Last spring, they simply didn’t get enough from the team’s stars — or enough consistency from the goaltender — to beat Tampa Bay.
But after Brooks Laich and his teammates gritted their teeth Saturday, tossed themselves in front of slap shots and willed their way past the New York Rangers, the question must be considered: Is this Washington’s best playoff team since 1998, the year the franchise advanced to its only Stanley Cup finals?
It might be a little premature to ask that about an outfit that’s a mere 6-5 and hasn’t won a game by more than a goal, which leaves little room for error. But this much cannot be denied: the Capitals’ collective confidence is growing.
“We feel comfortable in all areas of the game right now,” Laich said after a quick practice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. “We’ve changed to a little more defensive style, but we’re still getting the goals when we need them. The penalty kill has been excellent. The power play gets a timely goal, which was the difference in the game [Saturday]. Our goaltending has been excellent. We’ve limited the amount of penalties we’re taking.”
Defensively, they’ve limited opponents to 2.18 goals per game, the fourth best among the seven teams alive.
Rookie goalie Braden Holtby sports a 1.94 goals against average and a .933 save percentage in 11 starts. Michal Neuvirth, for comparison’s sake, posted a 2.34 and .912 in nine starts last postseason.
And, now, the Capitals are also getting key contributions from those who are paid handsomely to do so. Alex Ovechkin has two goals in three games and Mike Green has a pair in six. Nicklas Backstrom had his strongest performance in Game 4 since returning from the concussion, and Alexander Semin directed a game-high 10 shots toward the Rangers’ cage.
“There are a lot of areas in our game that we’ve really cleaned up from years’ past, and we’re getting rewarded for it,” Laich added. “There are a lot of really little things that we pay attention to that are helping us win hockey games.”
Such as blocking shots. The Capitals lead the league with 244 in the playoffs. On Saturday, they blocked 26 and the Rangers blocked seven — two fewer than Jeff Schultz knocked down on his own. After Green’s go-ahead goal with 5 minutes 48 seconds remaining, Roman Hamrlik, Green, Matt Hendricks, Marcus Johansson, Troy Brouwer and Laich each blocked a shot to ensure the series headed back to New York tied 2-2.
“You look at the last minute of the game, we had three or four blocks from our forwards,” Schultz said. “That saved the game for us. That puck gets through, and then there’s a rebound and scramble in front. Who knows what happens?”
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