How bad is the sports landscape in Washington?
We’ve developed an inferiority complex to Pittsburgh.
Not just as a sports town, but literally as a city.
The first installment of HBO’s “24/7” series featuring the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins (the second episode aired Wednesday night) made it seem not just like the Penguins were the most lovable team in America and the Capitals were boring losers — it actually made Pittsburgh, the city, look better than the nation’s capital.
We saw beautiful shots of the rivers and bridges in the Steel City, so much so it was like a Chamber of Commerce promotional film.
In Washington, we did see the Capitals skating with fans at the Sculpture Garden. But for the most part, the impression you got of Washington was that it was that the White House was a townhouse in Northern Virginia.
It didn’t help that the Capitals were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. They’ve pulled themselves out of that, and have won two straight, coming off Tuesday night’s 5-1 win over New Jersey.
But it will be episode three that perhaps will show the best and worst of both teams. It will include Thursday night’s showdown with the Penguins at the Verizon Center.
All of this is leading up to the Penguins-Capitals New Year’s Day Winter Classic at Heinz Field, which is all fine and dandy. But for the Capitals, this “24/7” series had better be more or less a documentary of how this team changed its persona — from glossy to gritty. From talented to tough.
No one recommends an eight-game losing streak to fix anything. But if it is part of a process to force superstar Alex Ovechkin & Co. to come to grips with making changes in their style of play as a team, then it would have been worth it.
You could make the case that the Capitals’ future as a playoff team in April, May and June is being won or lost now in December. If this is the time when the Capitals find a way to grind, then the losing now will pay off some time during the playoffs.
The jury is out for now — we have still seen too much perimeter shooting and a lack of commitment around the net both on offense and defense. That has to change.
The questions still exist about whether or not Ovechkin, as captain of this team, is the right guy to lead that change. No one is questioning his talent, but hockey, like football, is a physically demanding and emotional game that requires more than talent.
Sometimes it is simply about tone — who sets the tone for the commitment on the ice to go into a game from the opening minute determined to put the opponent down early and keep them down.
The “24/7” series is fun and great theater and great for the NHL. But for the Capitals, it may turn out to be a look back on when this team took the next step, from the greatest show on ice to Stanley Cup hardware.
Then maybe the world can see how beautiful Washington looks in May and June.
Examiner Columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN 980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
