from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,

Crosby has one assist in the series. Ovechkin has one goal. But because the Pens have won three of four, Crosby’s lack of production isn’t as meaningful as Ovechkin’s.

Washington’s No. 8 is getting lots of shots, and lots of hits, and even got away with a nasty slash to Crosby’s hands in Game 4. It’s not like he has been invisible or uninvolved.

But if the Caps go down, none of that will matter. Ovechkin will attract more than his fair share of the blame, which is what happens when you make the big bucks and wear the “C.”

All that will matter is that once again, Washington won’t have made it past the second round of the Stanley Cup tournament, something the franchise hasn’t done since 1998.

This was supposed to happen very differently this spring. GM Brian MacLellan went out of his way to add personnel like ex-Kings Justin Williams and Richards, players who understood the difference between playoff success and failure and how to help Washington get out of its cycle of playoff disappointment.

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