George McPhee is here for the long haul. (AP)

Another season has come and gone with similar results for the Washington Capitals, to the point where what was going to happen eventually was very predictable.  After an awful start, the Capitals rode a tremendous stretch of play by Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, and Braden Holtby to the postseason, only to be knocked out in the first round once more, this time by the New York Rangers.  They lost another game seven on home ice, the sixth consecutive season that they have fallen out of the playoffs before the Conference Finals and the fourth time in those six seasons they’ve lost in the first round.

It was more of the same.

The message on Wednesday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex? Not much is going to change.

“I thought it was a really good season,” General Manager George McPhee said, dressed in a dark blue pinstripe suit.  “We improved in a lot of ways.  Our coaching staff was terrific.  We had a slow start but really played well down the stretch and played well in the playoffs.  It didn’t go our way.”

No, it didn’t go the Capitals’ way.  It has yet to go Washington’s way in the Alex Ovechkin era, or frankly ever, in the postseason.  The Capitals have only made the Stanley Cup Final once, in 1998, when they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in four games.  Since then, they haven’t even come close, especially disconcerting given the talent that they have had over the last six or seven years.

Despite these rather alarming facts, the club, at both the player and management level, doesn’t see any reason to change their approach in terms of player personnel.

“But these guys, I’d go to war with these guys,” McPhee continued.  “These are good players.  Where do you get another Ovechkin?  Nick Backstrom is a heck of a player.  Mike Green is a heck of a player.  Carlson is on his way up.  We’ve got a lot of good young players, and we’ll keep going to war with them.”

READ ON FOR MORE ANALYSIS OF ANOTHER DISSAPOINTING SEASON.

Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images

The Washington Capitals fell in another game seven on home ice Monday evening, losing to the New York Rangers in the final game of their 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series by a final score of 5-0.  Henrik Lundqvist was stellar once again in net for New York, posting his second consecutive shutout, behind a Ranger team that pushed all of the right buttons after falling behind in this series 2-0 and came roaring back to take their talents to the second round against Boston, who came up with a stellar comeback on Monday.  With the loss, Washington once more is left to ponder what could have been after another early exit.  And while injuries to key players did not help, New York simply wanted this one more and executted better.  The results spoke for themselves.

Braden Holtby, who was the Capitals’ best player in all three of the games they won in this series (and probably in game six, as well), did his team no favors at the beginning of the game, making some solid saves but also allowing a very soft goal to Arron Asham from the top of the circles, which took the air out of an electric Verizon Center and allowed the Rangers to gain momentum after a very good start in terms of pressure and shots by Washington.  That was the turning point in the game even though it came so early, and it’s a play that cannot happen in a game seven if you expect to win.  Holtby was stellar down the stretch and helped to get the Capitals to the playoffs and win games in these playoffs, but one goal in this game was too much for the team to bounce back from.

No, that’s not to say that this loss was in any way Holtby’s fault.  After that first goal, the next two saw him left completely out to dry by bad defensive zone coverage and poor plays by the team in front of him.  The Capitals fell apart after that first goal and they kept trying the same things offensively and defensively, failing to make any adjustments as they saw their season slip through their fingers.  That’s really all there is to say about their collective performance tonight.

Alex Ovechkin got himself off to a great start in this game physically, registering seven hits in the first period and establishing himself as a presence all over the ice against the Rangers defense.  But as has been the theme since game three, when he probably got hurt, he couldn’t capitalize on the chances that he generated or the chances that he was presented with by the solid play of his linemates.  It’s not fair, but the criticism of Ovechkin in the playoffs will continue to mount from outside sources until he puts the team on his back in the postseason and carries them a distance, if not THE distance.  Such is the nature of being the superstar captain of a team.

This game had the feeling of game seven against the Penguins in 2009, just like the series as a whole felt like that 2009 series against Pittsburgh.  The Capitals dominated the first seven minutes or so of this game before allowing New York to take the lead and then grind them out before blowing them out to another disappointing exit and an early summer.  I don’t know what it is with this team and game seven, or getting 2-0 series leads and then letting them slip away.  But if they want to achieve the ultimate goal, they must figure it out.  This is simply too talented a roster, despite their inefficiencies, to continue to falter in this heartbreaking fashion.

PS – If you blame Adam Oates for this loss and want to see Dale Hunter back…

The Capitals will have postmortem interviews at Kettler Capitals Iceplex some time this week, probably Wednesday.  And then we will all sit and think.  Again.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here for all your news needs this season.

#6 New York Rangers at #3 Washington Capitals
Series Tied 3-3
Location:  Verizon Center
Time: 8:00 PM
TV:  Local: CSN, National: NBCSN, Canada: TSN
Radio: 1500AM & 820AM
Previous Games:
Game 1, May 2 in Washington: 3-1 W
Game 2, May 4 in Washington, 1-0 W (OT)
Game 3, May 6 in New York, 3-4 L
Game 4, May 8 in New York, 3-4 L
Game 5, May 10 in Washington, 2-1 W (OT)
Game 6, May 12 in New York, 0-1 L
Familiar Faces of Former Capitals:  D Steve Eminger (212 GP, 2002-08)

C'mon Ref! Read on!

Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images

As a trained hockey referee and an official and coach in other sports, I can say from experience being a referee is a very difficult job.  The National Hockey League does an excellent job selecting and training their officials and icing the best officiating crews in the world.  Almost without exception, the four officials on the ice do the best job they possibly can to ensure a safe, fair, and entertaining game.  That said, they are human beings, the speed of the game means they will occasionally miss calls, and they have feelings just like everyone else.  That said, the last two games in Madison Square Garden were poorly officiated and biased, but Game 6 was an absolute travesty. 

In summary, the New York Rangers received 5 powerplays to the Capitals 0.  The Capitals clearly deserved two penalties in the game (Alzner's delay of game and Fehr's elbow), but the referees' inability or unwillingness to rein in the Rangers led to several retaliation penalties tby the Capitals that should have been both players going at the very least.  In the first period, Rangers' captain Ryan Callahan got away with a blatant elbow on Jack Hillen, leading to a retaliation penalty for Hillen.  Hillen was called for a roughing penalty even though replays showed Callahan clearly embellishing by jerking his head back after Hillen's glove hit his chest, which is not roughing.  The referees also did not call a very late hit from behind on Mathieu Perreault by Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto.  The hit was delivered when the puck was 40 feet away from Perreault and it sent him crashing into the boards.  To be clear, Dorsett had already been penalized for diving after intentionally running into Joel Ward earlier in the series.  Later in the game, the referees called a cross-checking penalty on Joel Ward after Derek Dorsett flew into his of his own free will, very reminiscent of the ridiculous penalty Jason Chimera was called for at the end of the second period of Game 4.  The biggest disgrace of them all was Dorsett's attempt to slew foot Mike Green in the third period.  Even though Green didn't fall over after Dorsett kicked his skate out from under him, Green slammed into the boards and Dorsett proceeded to hold onto Green's leg, keeping him from moving.  Green thoroughly deserved the 2-minute penalty he got for cross-checking Dorsett in the mouth for his reckless play, and he probably deserved 4 (and Ribeiro probably could have gotten a penalty for tripping Dorsett on his way back to the bench), but it is inconceivable that Dorsett was not assessed a penalty for his role in the play.  Predictably, when a game gets out of hand because of poor officiating, an end-of-game brawl broke out, earning the Rangers their only two penalties on the scoresheet, but they were assessed after the final horn had sounded and did not affect the outcome of the game. 

Read on.

It's almost too predictable at this point.
(Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Washington Capitals lost game six of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the New York Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, falling 1-0 in a had-fought, defensive affair.  Derick Brassard scored the lone goal of the game for New York midway through the second period while Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves in net for the Rangers, stellar once again.  The Capitals took five penalties in the game while the Rangers did not take one until the 20:00 mark of the final period, after it could have any impact on the game.  With the loss, Washington is set up for yet another game seven, their third consecutive and sixth in their last eight playoff series.

The penalties were the story in this game.  Though the Capitals were able to kill off all five power plays that the Rangers were awarded, they set the tone for the whole game, as I have said that they would over and over again in this series.  You can complain about the officials all you want, and you may have a point.  But the bottom line when it comes to stuff like this is that the Capitals have to keep their heads.  They cannot lose their cool.  The Rangers, like the Bruins, are a big physical team who will goad you in to crap like this and then take advantage of it.  Mike Green, justified or not, lashed out late in the game after what he perceived to be a slew foot and it cost Washington any momentum they had as the game wound down, hurting their chances to tie.  It’s not an excuse, and it’s over.  Move on.

READ ON HERE.

The Washington Capitals announced they have recalled 5 players from the AHL Hershey Bears to serve as extra practice players for the remainder of the playoffs.  The 5 players were goaltender Philipp Grubauer and defensemen Tomas Kundratek, Dmitry Orlov, Cameron Schilling and Nate Schmidt.  All but Schmidt played at least one game for the Capitals this season.  Check out the Roster page for more information on these players. 

#3 Washington Capitals at #6 New York Rangers
Capitals Lead Series 3-2
Location: Madison Square Garden
Time: 4:30 PM
TV:  Local: CSN, National: CNBC, Canada: TSN
Radio: 1500AM & 820AM
Previous Games:
Game 1, May 2 in Washington: 3-1 W
Game 2, May 4 in Washington, 1-0 W (OT)
Game 3, May 6 in New York, 3-4 L
Game 4, May 8 in New York, 3-4 L
Game 5, May 10 in Washington, 2-1 W (OT)
Remaining Game:
Game 7*, May 13 in Washington, TBD
*If necessary
Familiar Faces of Former Capitals:  D Steve Eminger (212 GP, 2002-08)

We're as excited as this guy! Read on!

Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images

Dogpile! (AP)

The Washington Capitals took a 3-2 series lead in the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the New York Rangers on Friday night inside Verizon Center, winning 2-1 in overtime on a goal from Mike Ribeiro.  Down early following a goal from Brian Boyle after less than a minute, the Capitals killed off four penalties in the first and second periods, dug in their heels, and slowly began to battle their way back.  The tying goal came off the stick of Joel Ward on a power play in the second period before the two teams ground out the rest of regulation.  Ribeiro cashed in down front in to an empty net after a Karl Alzner shot, pounding the loose puck past Henrik Lundqvist on Washington’s 35^th shot of the night.  Braden Holtby rebounded nicely, making 24 saves in the win.

The Capitals got off to a very poor start in this one, evidenced by Boyle’s goal after less than a minute, but settled down to absolutely dominate the Rangers in terms of even strength shots.  The third period was particularly tilted in the Capitals’ favor, as they outshot the Blueshirts 13-4 in that frame and got chance after chance, only to be thwarted by Henrik Lundqvist.  Regardless of the result, seeing such an encouraging even strength performance in terms of puck possession was encouraging to say the least, especially after the complete eggs Washington laid in New York in this regard.  Now going back to Madison Square Garden for game six, they must maintain that pressure on the road in order to have a decent chance.

Read on for more analysis of the OT win.

The NHL announced today that Alexander Ovechkin was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Ovechkin won the award twice in a row in 2007-08 and 2008-09.  He was also a finalist for the award in 2009-10. 

Photo: Washington Post

Already a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award as the league's most outstanding player as voted on by his peers, Alex Ovechkin makes an easy case for most valuable player, as well.   The first overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft captained the Capitals to the Southeast Division championship, leading them out of a season-opening slump.  The team started the season 2-8-1, but Ovechkin scored 23 goals and 36 points over the final 23 games as the team went 17-4-2 to secure a playoff spot.  The right-winger led the league in goals with 32 and finished third in points with 56.  He led the league in powerplay scoring with 16 goals and 27 points on the league's top powerplay unit.  The puck was always on his stick: he led the league with 220 shots on goal and 98 shots that missed the target.  He played all 48 games and finished 7th in total ice time among forwards (1,002:27, or 20:53 per game), but first in powerplay ice time (220:30, 4:35 per game).  He also finished 21st among forwards in hits with 120 and snagged 30 takeaways to only 25 giveaways.  Ovechkin also went 3-for-3 in shootouts, all wins, and scored 4 game-winning goals. 

The second finalist for the award was center John Tavares of the New York Islanders.  The first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Tavares led the Islanders with 28 goals and 47 points, helping them to a playoff berth for the first time since 2007.  He also led the team with 5 game-winning goals and scored on 3 of his 6 shootout attempts.  He placed 3rd in the NH with 28 goals and 9 powerplay goals  The Islanders' alternate captain played all 48 games and finished 8th among forwards in total ice time, with 997:11, or 20:46 per game.  This is his first nomination for a major NHL award. 

The other finalist was the first overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, center Sidney Crosby. 

Follow Andy Green on Twitter.

#6 New York Rangers at #3 Washington Capitals
Series Tied 2-2
Location:  Verizon Center
Time: 7:30 PM
TV:  Local: CSN, National: NBCSN, Canada: TSN
Radio: 1500AM & 820AM
Previous Games:
Game 1, May 2 in Washington: 3-1 W
Game 2, May 4 in Washington, 1-0 W (OT)
Game 3, May 6 in New York, 3-4 L
Game 4, May 8 in New York, 3-4 L
Remaining Games:
Game 6, May 12 in New York, TBD
Game 7*, May 13 in Washington, TBD
*If necessary
Familiar Faces of Former Capitals:  D Steve Eminger (212 GP, 2002-08)

Blocked at work? Read on!

Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images