The Lightning jumped out in front in the first period and the Capitals played from behind for most of the game. They trailed, 3-2, going into the third period, but goals by Marc-Andre Bergeron and Martin St. Louis put away the game — and the series. Defenseman John Carlson scored a late goal for the Capitals, but it was too little, too late.
“They had the upper hand on us all the time,” said veteran forward Mike Knuble in a nearly deserted Capitals locker room inside St. Pete Times Forum afterward. “I don’t think anyone saw this coming.”
The Capitals, coming off three straight seasons of playoff frustrations, thought they’d taken the steps necessary to achieve team owner Ted Leonsis’s stated goal: Nothing less than the Stanley Cup. They changed their system to a more defensive style, which was supposed to help them in postseason play. They righted themselves after a December slump, made key deals at the February trade deadline to add some veteran savvy to a young roster and won 12 games in March to help them win their fourth straight division title.
Yet none of that helped them avert a sweep by the Lightning, which is just the latest in a string of playoff frustrations for the Capitals.
“We did better than last year,” Carlson said. “But it’s a season thrown away, in my opinion.”
Now the Capitals’ front office has another summer in which to ponder its formula. There is no question some fans will call for the ouster of Coach Bruce Boudreau. Boudreau has taken this team to four straight Southeast Division titles – but he hasn’t gotten them beyond the second round of the playoffs, either.
Is the fault with Boudreau, or his team? That’s the question the front office will try to answer this summer. But Boudreau’s track record would indicate that for all the young talent on the roster, there is something missing from the Capitals’ locker room. Identifying that missing element will be General Manager George McPhee’s job; integrating it into the Capitals’ system will be Boudreau’s – more than likely.
Everyone in hockey has a nickname, and Boudreau’s has long been Gabby, for his talkative, affable nature. But he’s serious as a heart attack at this time of year. Asked Wednesday morning whether his job security hinged on the outcome of Game 4, he answered in much the same way he’s replied to similar queries all season, with a snort of derision.
Loading...
Comments