Montreal Canadiens 4, Caps 1
Welcome to Panic City. Population: You. That’s about the best way I can describe the D.C. sports scene for the next two days. The Caps — No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a Presidents’ Trophy and a roster chock full o’ star players — are one loss away from seeing all of their hard work this season flushed away. Welcome to the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s absolute torture for fans and 1,000 times worse for players and coaches and general managers.
The story of this game was told in the first 2 minutes, 46 seconds when Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak stopped Alex Semin, Brooks Laich, Joe Corvo — his opportunity a great one in the slot — and finally Mike Green. All fine saves. All told Washington that beating Halak on Monday night was going to be a hellacious challenge. The 24-year-old Slovakian conjured up nightmare images of Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy with his 53-save performance in front of a Bell Centre crowd that roared and chanted and screamed from start to finish. Only Eric Fehr‘s third-period tip-in beat Halak, who has stopped 90 of the Caps’ last 92 shots on goal. That’s a pretty good way to pull off a playoff upset.
The power play continues its implosion. The Caps even had a 5-on-3 in the first period and did nothing with it. The long reach of defenseman Hal Gill has frustrated that unit all series. Nothing changed on Monday as Washington posted an 0-for-6 night. It is now 1-for-30 in the series. Again — an excellent way to lose to a No. 8 seed. But whine “hot goalie” all you want. There are no excuses allowed in the postseason. The Caps either win or they get slapped with the scarlet letter that the San Jose Sharks have worn in recent years: The talented group that just can’t get it done when it matters. Fair? Not even remotely. Is that too much pressure for one team to labor under? Absolutely. But welcome to life at the top of the heap in the NHL.
You can expect a nervous, tight crowd at Verizon Center on Wednesday night when the Caps and Canadiens meet for Game 7. Fans, after all, are allowed to panic. Everyone remembers how Game 7 went last year in the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins — the second year in a row the home folks watched a hated rival celebrate a series-clinching win at 7th and F. But there’s another reality to the Stanley Cup playoffs — win that seventh game and no one remembers a thing. The panic subsides — for a few days at least. Jaroslav Halak can’t follow you to Philadelphia. You don’t have to go back to Bell Centre and its legion of screaming fanatics. It’s a new series and a 0-0 start and sometimes the relief of that allows a team to loosen up and make a run at a championship. That’s the Caps’ hope, anyway. Take a deep breath. Wednesday will be here soon enough.
