Capitals right wing Eric Fehr has been here before. The basics of a night-in, night-out playoff chase are no different in the NHL than in the minor leagues.
Two years ago, Fehr and his teammates with the AHL’s Hershey Bears endured a grueling postseason march to win the Calder Cup — the minor-league version of the Stanley Cup. Their coach? Bruce Boudreau, who since taking over behind the Caps’ bench on Thanksgiving Day has led Washington to a 32-17-7 record and a shot at its first playoff berth since 2003. His club continues its quest with a 7:30 game tonight at last-place Tampa Bay.
“Bruce is coaching now exactly the way he did with us in Hershey,” said Fehr, a 22-year-old who scored 47 goals in two years under Boudreau in the AHL. “He instills that confidence in his players that we’re going to find a way to make it somehow.”
Despite winning six of their last seven games, however, the Caps (38-31-8, 84 points) still have a hard road to qualify with just five games remaining. They gained one point on Southeast Division leader Carolina (41-30-6, 88 points) with a thrilling 3-2 shootout win on Tuesday night. But eighth-place Boston (38-28-10, 86 points) and seventh-place Philadelphia (39-28-10, 88 points) also won.
“It’s hard when teams ahead of you keep winning, too,” said Fehr. “But the task at hand — tonight’s game — is the most important. If we at least win four of our last five we have a pretty good chance. That’s all we can ask.”
