Running 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs thread

Were the Capitals ever anything else?

 

They found other ways to lose before. Two straight home losses where they blew two-goal leads.

Yeah, now I'm panicking. I think the series is over. Where is Trotz next year? It ain't going to be Washington.

 

Caps gonna Cap.

 

I'm not even worried about the next two games being on the road. I don't think home ice means shit outside of game 7, and even then, not so much. It's that they made terrible mistakes at the end of Game 1 and fucking repeated them three nights later. That's coaching. That's Trotz. Bye, bitch.

 

Teams that have lost the first two games of a series at home since 2014:
2017: Chicago (swept by Nashville); Minnesota (lost to St. Louis in 5); Washington (lost to Pittsburgh in 7); Anaheim (beat Edmonton in 7)
2016: Anaheim (lost to Nashville in 7); Los Angeles (lost to San Jose in 5)
2015: Montreal (lost to Tampa Bay in 6)
2014: Tampa Bay (swept by Montreal); Anaheim (lost to LA in 7); Montreal (lost to the Rangers in 6).

Yeah, looking grim.

 

Had they ever left?

 

Trotz ain't the problem.

 

They go back to Holtby now, right?

 

Respectfully, he is part of it. A big part of it is that Ovechkin is a loser and always will be. But Trotz hasn't covered himself in glory with some of his personnel decisions this year.

At some point, it's no longer coincidence that Trotz has never gotten past the second round. This is a moot discussion, because he's gone unless he wins two rounds. And the Caps won't make it to the weekend if they lose Tuesday. They'll lay down and take it like the dogs they are on sweep day on Thursday if they lose tomorrow.

 

Take Ovechkin away from this team and the embarrassing playoff losses will go away all right.

 

I'm not saying that at all, though it certainly sounded like that's where I was going. But at some point you can't just look away from the fact that his teams -- whether it be the Caps or the Russia Olympic team -- never do anything when it matters.

I love Ovechkin. He's a joy to watch. He's one of the best regular-season players ever and he'll end his career as one of the top two or three goal scorers in the history of the league. But his postseason track record is awful. It's undeniable. But he's not the ONLY reason his teams struggle.

Sorry, I'm just really fucking frustrated with this team.

 

I know, and I sympathize. But blaming a team's best player for its failings is like Disappointed Fan Fallacy #1.