After Game 3, I feel there are, once again, mystical powers at work. Forces that we can not explain with rationality, common sense, or logic. There will be no dictating circumstances; we all, players, fans, announcers alike, are just along for the cosmic joyride. Two specific areas of this series are currently up in the air, beholden only to the whims of the Universe. One, is how the Capitals respond to the seemingly annual tradition of failing to win a playoff game they dominate. The second is the impossible task of trying to deduce how the NHL will deal with Kris Letang's dirty hit on Marcus Johansson.
Longtime readers likely assume that on Point One I am feeling as dreary as this morning's downpour. A safe bet, to be sure, but one they would lose. Yes, virtually everything that transpired during last night's game would suggest that these are the same old Caps: plucky buggers who simply will not overcome the Hockey Gods that perpetually conspire against them. Yes, the Caps peppered the latest "hot goalie", Matt Murray, with forty-nine (49!) shots only to come away with a paltry two goals. Yes, presumed Vezina winner Braden Holtby gave up goals on two of the first three shots he faced, including a tip-in and a deflection off a forward's back. Yes, our boys in red finally played the full sixty minute game we have been begging them to bring. Yes, the Caps did everything correct EXCEPT WIN THE GAME. These are all evidence that this series is another in a string of playoff misfortune that routinely befalls this franchise. All omens, talisman, or signs that "here we go again." Fellow fans, I can't blame you if you feel that way. It makes sense. Well, nothing about Washington's postseasons ever make sense. I simply mean I understand why you would feel that way.
It is also a line of thought of which I have grown tired. Maybe I'm delusional. Maybe I'm drunk on Red Rocker Kool-Aid. Today, I choose to see the good. To see the sparks of hope from Game 3. I must admit, it feels weird, like when you drive someone else's car. You know how, it's just not what you are used to. I know the Pens, the League, or the Caps themselves could snuff out those sparks of hope quickly tomorrow night. However, if you look objectively, not through "The Sky Is Falling" lenses, the omens of the tide turning were present. First, Alex Ovechkin was everywhere last night. He scored his first goal of the series, which was also his first against the Penguins all season. He looked like he could have scored a half dozen more. (That would have been nice, eh?) He was destroying people with huge, clean hits. He skated, competed like a champion, and LED this team. Secondly, Justin Williams hopped off the side of a milk carton and into the series. His first goal was a big one. If he can continue land on the score sheet for something beyond a penalty, our guys might be okay. Thirdly,we have a coach that exudes confidence. For all I know it is an act, but Barry Trotz looked comfortable in the postgame press conference. He knows his guys are good. He knows they face only a one game deficit. He knows it is a BEST OF SEVEN. I trust Barry Trotz. (Though, I do have one small piece of advice for him. Unlike fans, coaches don't usually believe in superstitions. However, I have noticed, largely through no fault of his own, that the team is now 0-4 in the playoffs with Taylor Chorney in the lineup. Just sayin...) Maybe he hasn't yet been swallowed by the Caps Curse, but I will take Trotz's mindset over Bruce Boudreau's red-faced uncertainty any day. Finally, and this will sound ridiculous on the surface, by losing Game 3, it is now mathematically impossible for the Caps to blow a 3-1 series lead. Silly, right? Who wouldn't want to be up 2-1 or 3-1? Maybe these guys. This team plays better when desperate. Playing from ahead, listening to the whispers of playoffs past rarely works for them. If they can escape Pittsburgh with the series tied 2-2, the Caps will be looking good.
Winning Game 4 may be a task made easier if Pens defenseman Kris Letang doesn't play. Whether or not he is suspended is the second great mystery coming out of Game 3. In the first period he caught Marcus Johansson with a high, late hit to the head. The shot was as dirty, as unnecessary, as punishable as Brooks Orpik's hit in Game 2. As of the time I write this, the NHL has not levied a punishment for the hit. I thought Orpik deserved a one game suspension. He received three. Because I think the hits are equitable, I would lobby for Letang to also receive three games. Unfortunately, several factors lead me to believe the NHL will not drop the hammer on Letang. One, he is a star player for the Pens. It shouldn't matter, but it does. Secondly, even though he has one prior suspension, Letang does not have the same headhunting reputation that Orpik carries. Finally, from what I have read from hockey writers since the hit, the league's Office of Player Safety factors the extent of the injuries sustained into the equation. The thinking goes that since Olli Maata has missed time from the Orpik hit, Orpik's suspension may be longer than Letang's because Marcus Johansson was able to stay in the game last night. Personally, I feel this SHOULD NOT factor into the decision. If the league truly wants to eradicate these head shots it must punish the act, not the intent of the checker or the extent of the injury. We will see how the NHL acts later this afternoon. My prediction is a one game suspension. Let's just say I have more faith in my Caps, even with their record of failure, than I do in the often inconsistent Office of Player Safety.
Maybe Kris Letang will be suspended, maybe he won't. Maybe the Caps will be swept up in another doomed postseason, maybe they won't. The signs are there to be read however you'd like to see them. Today, I look to the positive. Today, I Rock the Red. Let's Go Caps!
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