Since Jeff already predicted the NHL playoff picture (I don't know about that Capitals-Penguins match-up though), I think I'll take this post in a different direction. The Washington Post has an interesting graphic on how the Capitals have made it to this point.
Every Caps fan probably remembers the 2005-2006 season as the year of Ovechkin's debut. But the year was notable for a number of other players. In fact, eight other players currently on the roster were added that season, including notables like defenseman Mike Green.
After the 2003-2004 season, team ownership decided to blow up the team and rebuild from scratch. After the lockout in the 2004-2005 season, they brought in the core of their young team in 2005-2006. The first season was rough going, and the team won just 29 games. The next season, they regressed and won just 28. But in 2007-2008 -- the same year they added Nicklas Backstrom -- the win total jumped to 48 and the Caps made the playoffs for the first time since 2002-2003.
Not only did the move pay off in the short run, but it should pay off in the long run as well. The Cap's stars are all young, and the team is prepared to be an NHL force for years to come. But it all started with the addition of those players in the 2005-2006 season.
A closing thought: The NHL is notorious for playoff upsets. For proof, see this article.
An excerpt:
"In 30 top seed-vs.-eight seed series (one in each conference every year), the eighth seed has won better than once every four tries."
So the Cap's playoff success is not guaranteed, even in the first round. They'll need to maintain their focus in every series, even the first one, to win a Stanley Cup.
No comments:
Post a Comment