The waiting was always the hardest part for the Capitals and defenseman Mike Green.
Late in the regular season, when all they wanted to do was keep playing hockey, Green and his teammates struggled to kill time on any scheduled days off. Needless to say, this week has been a long one.
The Caps, who clinched the Southeast Division title and a playoff berth last Saturday, finally return to the ice tonight for Game 1 of their Stanley Cup quarterfinal series with the Philadelphia Flyers at Verizon Center.
“It seemed like it was forever between games at the end there,” said Green, the Caps’ leader in ice time. “We’re ready to go right now.”
The other seven playoff series have already begun. Some teams will have played twice by the time the puck is dropped in D.C. this evening. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing — neither for the third-seeded Caps (43-31-8, 94 points, Southeast Division champs) nor the sixth-seeded Flyers (42-29-11, 95 points).
Both teams are dealing with injuries to key defensemen. Washington hopes to have Shaone Morrisonn (shoulder) and Jeff Schultz (undisclosed) available. Philadelphia still must decide the status of Jason Smith (shoulder) and Derian Hatcher (broken leg).
But no matter what happens with those players tonight, by the end of this series it is unlikely they will be the only ones nursing injuries. Both the Caps and the Flyers play aggressive systems that emphasize a heavy forecheck and demand physical play. That is common enough in postseason play throughout the NHL. But it is a particular strength for these teams.
“We know how they play and they know how we play,” said Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. “I don’t think they’re going to turn into a bunch of guys who win the Lady Byng [trophy awarded for sportsmanship].”
