Sweet Spring No Matter What

Well, I have held off writing since the Caps went on their late season run to sneak into the playoffs. I started to write a piece on how sweet it was to finish first in the division...about how the grass was greener that next day. I never went back to it because i knew that the season wasn't over and i would keep those memories to myself and prepare for the playoffs. We Cap fans have waited for so long to have a team that showed as much heart as this years Capitals did. The whole town was grabbed and sucked into the hypnotic trance of playoff hockey, and we were rewarded!

Two over time games, one double overtime. The Caps battled back from a 3-1 deficit to force a game seven. Game seven goes into overtime and you knew it would take a lucky bounce to win it. We all prayed it would be the Caps to have that luck on their side.

But, if you are a life-long Cap fan like me, you just know that we don't get that luck. We never have, save for three times in the past 33 years. Like Dale Hunters OT goal to beat the Flyers in seven back in 88. Or John Druce turning into Brett Hull and carrying us to the conference finals in 90-91. And of course, the 98 season when we went all the way to the Cup Finals and got swept by the Red Wings. This year seemed like it held the promise of a good luck blessing, when the hockey gods would smile down upon us and grant us a hard fought win over the hated Flyers.

So, here we sit, perplexed because the NHL did not make sure that the Caps advanced so we could play the Penguins and set up the ratings blockbuster of Ovechkin vs. Crosby. We sit here perplexed that the penalty calls could be so drastically one sided and unfair at times, leaning heavily the way of the Flyers. We sit here dumbfounded and hurt, our spirits crushed, our hope that seemed so high and that we felt that it was going to be a new dawn here for hockey. That it was finally our time to rise up and be the up and coming team that team management and the experts thought we would be.

Hey, lets look at the bright side. Ovechkin, Green, Backstrom, Semin and the rest of the young guys never backed down and got a crash course in what playoff hockey means. Remember, Gretzky and Lemuiex didn't get past the first round the first tie they were in the playoffs. Next year, we get to see if this was all for real and see what this team, with head coach-stud Bruce Boudreau. Boudreau helped make this team believe in itself and they never looked back. I salivate at the possibilities in the future for this hockey team.

What I look forward to the most is watching Alex Ovechkin continue to get better and prove that he is the best player in the league, the world! People all over saw that this season to a degree, but everyone is still ga-ga over Sidney Crosby. At least we know the NHL isn't fixed or the Caps and Pens would be squaring off in the next few days instead of the Flyers and Pens. Ovechkin will have to stew over that all summer. He's one of those guys that if you piss him off, he makes you pay.

Ovie has to wait until October to take out his frustration. The frustration of not playing up to his standards, the frustration of not advancing past the first round. The frustration of feeling like he let his team mates and the fans down, which of course is ludicrous. He did nothing of the sort. In fact, he has given us a brief yet shining glimpse of the kind of future this town may have when it comes to hockey. I bet Ovechkin is up to the task. Perhaps next year he can put to rest any question about who is better. Hopefully next year everyone will stop gushing about the greatness of Sid the Kid and start recognizing Alex, the man.