The Capitals now open their first-round game against the New York Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, but weeks of living on the brink have put them in a stable position to withstand postseason pressure. I believe there is.
“We won three in a row. It feels good,” center Dylan Strome said. “The momentum is there for us and we obviously feel good. It's going to be a tough building, a tough rink to play in, but as hockey players you want to be confident and have confidence in your game and your team. think.”
On paper, playing the Presidents Trophy winners as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, needing a win on the final day, doesn't seem to be in Washington's favor. You can't exactly and simply compare regular season results to what will happen in the playoffs, but as Strome was quick to point out, the Capitals went 2-2 against the Rangers in the regular season and finished 4-4. We won with a score of 0 and 4-0. We lost 2-1, then 5-1 and 3-2.
Just last season, the Boston Bruins, who won the President's Cup, were defeated in the first round by the Florida Panthers, who had sneaked into the eighth seed with a late-season onslaught.
“If you look at the entire hockey season, any team can beat any team on any given night,” Strom said. “This year, we played very well against the Rangers. We were 2-2, nine goals against each other, nine goals against each other. And I think anything can happen in the playoffs. What happened last year? You saw it: The best team in regular season history loses to Florida because they finished the season on a good note and carried it into the playoffs.”
These Capitals are a far cry from last year's Panthers, who came one year away from winning their own Presidents Trophy when they defeated the Bruins to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Washington hasn't won a playoff series since winning the Cup in 2018, but it took almost every effort the Capitals had to make it this year.
But after spending most, if not more, of a month in dangerous conditions, Washington has also become accustomed to the hockey it needs to win in the postseason. In highly contested and heavily checked games, the Capitals tend to be the best version of themselves. Problems arise when things become clear.
“I think we've been playing playoff hockey for the past month,” center Connor McMichael said. “We're already in that mode and mindset. We want to prove that we can compete with any team in this league. It's a great opportunity for our team to play against the Presidents Trophy winner.” They have a really good team, but I think we're ready for the challenge.”
Washington coach Spencer Carberry knows the playoffs will bring a new level of difficulty and warned against getting too confident after the regular season.
“It's a clean slate. It's a new season now,” Carberry said. “Are we happy with the situation in our game? We feel good and we're taking positive steps to play a playoff-style game, get through it, get a result, and make the matchups more difficult.” Would it have helped? For sure, we're going to have to replicate some of the games we've played and some of the things we did in those games to be successful against the Rangers.
“We'll focus on those and try to maintain that momentum as best we can, knowing it's a whole new animal and a clean slate.”
But even as Coach Carberry tries to set reasonable expectations, his players haven't tempered the belief in themselves derived from what they have to do just to make it to the postseason.
“We've been playing high-stakes hockey here for quite some time,” goaltender Charlie Lindgren said. “And I think that bodes well for us going into the dance. We have a great group of players here and all of our players agree with me that this group has been special all season. I think you will.”
Leonard returns to Boston University
Top prospect Ryan Leonard, selected by the Capitals with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 draft, has opted to return to Boston College for his second season. Leonard set a Boston College record for goals by a freshman with 31, the most in program history, and tied for fourth in the nation with 60 points in 41 games. The Eagles lost to Denver in the national championship game.
“We support Ryan's decision to return to one of the nation's best programs for continued growth,” general manager Brian McClellan said in a statement. “…We will continue to monitor his growth and progress next year and look forward to watching Ryan build on his successful freshman season.”
