What is the Washington Captials' issue when it comes to the playoffs?

[Hal-sephira]

I'm not a supporter for the Capitals so I just to say something about their successes and failures every year.

I mean, why do they fail year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year after year? What is the franchise's issue? I just thinking they're cursed. Of course, they had a Finals appearance in the late 90s but they failed badly.

I'm expecting some strangers to troll around answering questions from opposing hockey fans, so they won't be funny since they're expected.

 

[Doom67]

Different things at different times but I would say that the most common issue over the 20+ years as a fan is the lack of two top line centers (which isnt the current issue). I think in playoff series its kind of a lot about line matching and being able to control the 5on5 play and the Caps have generally had a lack of options when it comes to matching up against other teams, due to generally being not strong down the middle. This leads to them being pinned in their own zone even when they have explosive wingers on the ice. This generally results in them being reliant on special teams play but in the playoffs you can't really depend on special teams to win you over 50% of the games you play...

This year they finally had 2 top centers but Kuznetsov couldn't get his production going despite stats showing him doing well in pretty much every thing other then goals and assists (in both zones).

 

[LivingLegend_]

It also doesn't help that Orpik, Lovejoy and Chorney all suck.

 

[KingShmeag]

not enough good ontaria boys

 

[HuskerTornado]

It also doesn't help that Orpik, Lovejoy and Chorney all suck.

Lovejoy plays for Pittsburgh. But yes, he does suck.

 

[Doom67]

While Lovejoy did sort of seem like he was playing for us last series at times, I can assure you that the Penguins are the one paying him...

 

[Doom67]

It also doesn't help that Orpik, Lovejoy and Chorney all suck.

Lovejoy plays for Pittsburgh. But yes, he does suck.

lol beat me to it.

 

[LivingLegend_]

WOOPS LONG DAY GUYS

 

[BigRandal_ps3]

just not enough speed especially on the backend.

their two best chances in the last 10 years were this year and 2010. 2010 was a freak of nature named halak and montreal playing above their potential. and this year.. the pens were just too hot going into the playoffs and got godly goaltending from murray when they needed it. just bad luck for the caps. best teams dont always win the cup. if they never had to play the pens then who knows, they probably would have won it all.

its all about the matchups

 

[Hal-sephira]

"None" means no Finals appearance in their 14 seasons of making the playoffs.

Weak. Incredibly weak.

Freaking Capitals always had tough matchups in their history.

Oh well.....

 

[UncleBen59]

They relied way to much on the Holtbeast.

Also this year they had some pretty bad defensive breakdowns and issues with them.

 

[sdasfaf]

move the Caps from DC to Baltimore and they win the Stanley Cup

 

[TehCanadian]

Big mistakes at the worst times, traditionally the blue line which was yet again a problem despite being billed as a strength and scoring depth in the playoffs. They suffer these breakdowns and then can't ahem, Capitalize on other teams similar mistakes. It's different things all the time, but Ovechkin is right, there's something missing. If the Caps field the same team next year they're going to get the same result.

 

[TehCanadian]

They relied way to much on the Holtbeast.

Also this year they had some pretty bad defensive breakdowns and issues with them.

While true, Holtby wasn't great in this series and let in a number of soft goals. Holtby has a habit of this in big games as well.

 

[Hal-sephira]

The Capitals lost another round? smh, it's a same story every season.

 

[UncleBen59]

Could Barry Trotz be the problem?

 

[tmg.exe]

Could Barry Trotz be the problem?

But the Caps are having the exact same symptoms of the problem they already had before they hired Trotz hoping that he could change things.

 

[Doom67]

Always easy to point out coaching mistakes in hindsight. I think its a little bad luck, a little bit of people not realizing how hard it is to actually win a cup, and the team seeming to peak in January year after year. I don't think there is a fix to those things.

Only thing that really upset me with Trotz was game 7 pre-game speech was "to go out there and have fun" - wtf this isn't Mighty Ducks or the Big Green.

 

[jrvegeeta]

just not enough speed especially on the backend.

their two best chances in the last 10 years were this year and 2010. 2010 was a freak of nature named halak and montreal playing above their potential. and this year.. the pens were just too hot going into the playoffs and got godly goaltending from murray when they needed it. just bad luck for the caps. best teams dont always win the cup. if they never had to play the pens then who knows, they probably would have won it all.

its all about the matchups

This. Their Goaltending is such a major strength that even losing Letang didn't stop them from winning the Cup.

That does, however, raise a potential issue: Who are the Pens going to leave exposed for the expansion draft? I'm aware that MAF has a 'no-movement' clause in his contract, but I imagine that if the Pens want Murray bad enough, they can possibly work around that...

 

[HuskerTornado]

just not enough speed especially on the backend.

their two best chances in the last 10 years were this year and 2010. 2010 was a freak of nature named halak and montreal playing above their potential. and this year.. the pens were just too hot going into the playoffs and got godly goaltending from murray when they needed it. just bad luck for the caps. best teams dont always win the cup. if they never had to play the pens then who knows, they probably would have won it all.

its all about the matchups

This. Their Goaltending is such a major strength that even losing Letang didn't stop them from winning the Cup.

That does, however, raise a potential issue: Who are the Pens going to leave exposed for the expansion draft? I'm aware that MAF has a 'no-movement' clause in his contract, but I imagine that if the Pens want Murray bad enough, they can possibly work around that...

Fleury has agreed to waive his nmc for Vegas.

 

[UncleBen59]

just not enough speed especially on the backend.

their two best chances in the last 10 years were this year and 2010. 2010 was a freak of nature named halak and montreal playing above their potential. and this year.. the pens were just too hot going into the playoffs and got godly goaltending from murray when they needed it. just bad luck for the caps. best teams dont always win the cup. if they never had to play the pens then who knows, they probably would have won it all.

its all about the matchups

This. Their Goaltending is such a major strength that even losing Letang didn't stop them from winning the Cup.

That does, however, raise a potential issue: Who are the Pens going to leave exposed for the expansion draft? I'm aware that MAF has a 'no-movement' clause in his contract, but I imagine that if the Pens want Murray bad enough, they can possibly work around that...

Fleury has agreed to waive his nmc for Vegas.

He did so back in February apparently

 

[jrvegeeta]

This. Their Goaltending is such a major strength that even losing Letang didn't stop them from winning the Cup.

That does, however, raise a potential issue: Who are the Pens going to leave exposed for the expansion draft? I'm aware that MAF has a 'no-movement' clause in his contract, but I imagine that if the Pens want Murray bad enough, they can possibly work around that...

Fleury has agreed to waive his nmc for Vegas.

He did so back in February apparently

I was unaware of that dealing. Nevertheless, MAF will obviously be one of the faces of the Golden Knights franchise (along with Marchesault) next year, with Glass joining the group down the road.