I'm getting flashbacks of playoffs past.
The Washington Capitals have done it again - well almost. In a 4-3 loss last night to the Rangers, the Caps have coughed up a 3-1 series lead and will head to Game 7 on Wednesday in New York.
Is it time to panic yet? I'd say so.
Washington has entered the last two games already looking forward to playing either Montreal or Tampa Bay. The last two first periods have been appalling and while they finished strong last night, it still wasn't enough to over come the two hardworking goals the Rangers scored in the first.
You can blame the refs all you want. Bad calls, no calls - it doesn't matter. Marty St. Louis did indeed ice the puck, and every one was taken off guard - except the Rangers. The Caps defensemen stopped playing and were attacked by great forechecking which lead to the Nash goal. Simply, the Caps didn't play to the whistle and got caught.
It doesn't matter that the Caps fired 45 shots on goal last night, including 28 in the final two periods. The Rangers had 35 blocked shots and were keeping the Caps, for the most part, as far away from Lundqvist as they could, despite the onslaught of opportunities.
Henrik Lundqvist, of course, made some unbelievable stops and saved the day for the Rangers in the end. However the Rangers beat the Caps as a team that was sticking together and not mentally imploding as Washington did.
Washington has never been passed the second round of the playoffs in the Ovechkin-era - not even Barry Trotz has gotten that far. The mental pressure that the Caps are facing now has to be the biggest in franchise history.
They need to win on Wednesday.
While the effort was definitely there last night, the Caps have to stay mentally tough going into Wednesday.
"I saw how we could control the play in the offensive zone with our wall play, our strength, our size," Braden Holtby said. "A 60-minute effort, if we do that, percentages are in our favor for a win." (NHL.com)
How do you feel about the Caps' chances on Wednesday?
Go Caps.
More to come...