After Playoffs, Pain Persists for Caps

Two days after the Washington Capitals' season came to an abrupt conclusion, Coach Bruce Boudreau said he still hasn't been able to watch the video of the defeat.

"I'm still sort of stunned we could play as a unit as we played in Game 7," he said. "You try to search for answers. Everything I think of is an excuse. But I don't want to make any excuses. We just came up with a clunker at the wrong time of year."

The disappointment and disgust at Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals lingered yesterday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, where the players shook hands, exchanged phone numbers and stuffed their hockey pads and skates into bags for a summer vacation they felt arrived far too soon.

"It's still hard; it's hard to believe the season is over and everybody goes home," said Alex Ovechkin, who was scheduled to return to Moscow last night. "All our mind right now is how we lose the game."

Ovechkin revealed that he played the final 10 games of the playoffs with a groin muscle injury that was so painful it required a numbing injection before games. He also said he took injections for an injured wrist that had been hampering him since the end of the regular season. Despite the dual ailments, Ovechkin led all scorers in the Capitals-Penguins series with 14 points and shared the lead with eight goals.

"Lots of guys was injured and lots of guys play [with] pain," he said. "If it was regular season, probably no one was going to play; probably me, too."

On most days last week, the trainer's room was packed. Mike Green played with a hurt shoulder that limited his ability to pass and shoot; Tom Poti and John Erskine each suffered a broken foot in Game 1 against the Penguins; Shaone Morrisonn was battling groin and ankle ailments; winger Alexander Semin had a badly sprained thumb that made it difficult for him to pass and stickhandle. Eric Fehr, meantime, missed the final five games of the playoffs after his shoulder popped out of its joint for the third time as a Capital.

Boudreau refused to use the injuries as an excuse, saying, "I'm sure other teams are banged up, too." Rather, Boudreau said he suspects his team had grown complacent after successfully staving off elimination four times in the playoffs.

Whatever caused perhaps the Capitals' worst effort of the season in their biggest game, the players and coaching staff will have all summer to stew over it. Here's a look at some other issues that will consume the team in the coming months:

Pending unrestricted free agent Sergei Fedorov said he has no intentions of retiring and wants to return to the Capitals. The 39-year-old has lost a step or two, but he still possesses a world-class shot and is one of the team's most respected leaders. The only question is whether he and General Manager George McPhee can strike a deal.

Viktor Kozlov, another free agent-to-be, said he wants to return to Washington, but that there's been no discussion of an extension. The first-line winger, who scored the first four goals of his playoff career, could be lured to Russia if the offers in his homeland are better.

Boudreau said the goaltending situation will be determined in training between Simeon Varlamov, José Theodore, Michal Neuvirth and Brent Johnson, the only one without a contract. When asked about Johnson, McPhee said, "We'll see, we can't bring them all back." Asked whether he expected Theodore to return, McPhee said, "Yes."

McPhee said he does not intend to buy out the remaining $8.5 million on Michael Nylander's contract, despite the fact that the veteran center played in only three of the 14 playoff games.

McPhee said he will meet with his pro scouting staff next week because "they provide a little more perspective because we get really focused on our own team."

By the time the scouts arrive, almost all of the Capitals will have returned to their home towns, even if reluctantly.

"A long summer is not going to help, either," said Brooks Laich, who spent Thursday afternoon and night at an impromptu gathering with most of his teammates at a downtown bar. "Still very disappointed with the outcome. I thought we deserved better. We just picked a bad time for an off-night for our guys."