from Dan Steinberg of DC Sports Bog,
Find that fast-forward button and press it down hard. The Washington Capitals already know how to handle the regular season; it’s the playoffs that have become their bugaboo.
The regular season games matter, but no one remembers them once someone skates around a rink in June holding the Stanley Cup. The best exorcism is to win playoff hockey games — 16 of them, to be precise. It’s about whether the captain and the nucleus are ready, whether their playoff failures have further fueled their desire.
“It doesn’t matter how good your record is,” owner Ted Leonsis said. “Until you win a Stanley Cup, you can’t claim to be among the elite teams. I’d like to know what it’s like to go deeper in the playoffs.”
“We have something to prove and, come playoff time this year, hopefully we will be at a peak,” the coach said.
Stop me if you’ve heard variations on this theme before.
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