It's Over, for Now

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Behind the Column with Mike Wise

The Washington Post's Mike Wise takes you behind the scenes of the Capital's 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

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And last night was his reward as much as it was for those patient legions, who watched Alex Ovechkin fire a rocket that tied the game in the second period.

These Caps did it the old-fangled way, using a majority of players from their own system, watching Ovechkin, Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green mature into tremendous talent, talent that will last well beyond last night -- probably five years or more as the Caps prepare for more Cup runs. Leonsis saw Backstrom in the locker room after the game. "I said, 'You came in a month ago at 20 and now you're 25,' " Leonsis said. "This was one of those accelerated MBA programs, where you get your graduate degree in the summer -- because they played their guts out in so many meaningful games."

This was the first Game 7 spectacle hosted by the Capitals since the 1992 Pittsburgh series, won by the Penguins; the Wizards haven't played a Game 7 in the Washington area since 1979.

If it was great theater, it also was a grand testament to the patient gamble by Leonsis, who proved Washington could stomach a complete, three- to four-year remodeling of a franchise rather than buying someone's else star and expecting that player to give you credence and credibility.

This foundation was not just built on talent and long-term potential; it was built on character and, yes, characters.

For some reason I found myself referring to Chris Clark, the Capitals' injured right wing, as "Clarkie" the other day, as in, "What's Clarkie doing sitting up here in the press box?"

It didn't feel chummy or corny, of which it was probably both. It felt oddly natural, like my friend who walked up to Donald Brashear yesterday and said, "What's up, Brash?" as the Caps' enforcer winked at the notion of a virtual stranger knowing his nickname. Ovie the Kid. Olie the Elder. Greenie. Feds. Brooksie. And, yes, "Gabby," Bruce Boudreau, that chatterbox coach from Hershey, whose wry humor and spare honesty disarmed most anyone interested in his hockey team.

They let Washington into their world the past five months, into their clubhouse -- a grown-up bunch of Lil' Rascals, armed with sticks and pucks. They fell to a more focused Flyers team that taught them a good lesson about playoff hockey:

Hit first, shoot first and ask questions later, preferably during the offseason.

Bottom line about the series comes from an astute Flyers fan, who said: "When your team plays like a hockey team and not a bunch of figure skaters with padding, you win. Our fans and team didn't beat the Caps up. We made them men. You're welcome."

Down the road, the Caps will thank you, Philadelphia, from the bottom of their Game 7 hearts.

"I think we have a fan base that has hope and can dream," Leonsis said. "And that's really one of the deliverables as an owner. It's a day that we're sad we lost in front of an unbelievable crowd. But it's a day that kicks off some introspection on what we built and what we have to do to get better."

His last overtime experience may have ended like this, but the day after will be much different. Ovechkin and many of these playoff-maturing 20-somethings will be around for years to come, long after anyone remembers a power-play goal that brought this scintillating season to conclusion.

"I believe in what we've done," Leonsis said.

It's not over. It's just beginning.