The Washington Capitals were bounced from the NHL playoffs Friday night by the Florida Panthers with a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 6. Washington has now lost in the first round of the NHL playoffs for the fourth straight year. The Capitals haven’t won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.
Questions and uncertainty surrounding the Capitals core brew after a fourth straight first-round exit.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin appeared to fight back emotion when he was asked if Washington’s core can still win in the postseason.
“I think you see how we played against the best team in the regular season,” Ovechkin said, per Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. “We have it, but we just blow it away. It is on us. It is on me on Backy, on Osh, on Carly, it is on everybody. Kinda f***** up situation.”
Ovechkin, 36, just finished his 17th season in the NHL. Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson and T.J. Oshie has been along the ride in recent years. The quartet along with a few others progressed through the years, ultimately hoisting the Stanley Cup four years ago.
However the team has been chasing that magical moment ever since. THe first three seasons the Capitals fell short of high expectations as a higher seed. This year, they limped into the postseason as the second wild card in the East, drawing the top-seeded Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.
For much of six games the Capitals showed they could compete blow-for-blow with the East’s top team. Yet, despite the distinct experience advantage, Washington let the series slip away from their grips.
Another early loss begs the question, has the championship window closed on the Capitals?
It’s a question that is sure to weigh heavy on the minds of Ovechkin and his fellow core Capitals players all summer.
