Fact: The Hurricanes savagely wrecked the Caps like a Taco Bell dinner steamrolling my digestive tract.
Opinion: The Caps were swept under by a tidal wave of a desperate team playing in front of a rabid crowd watching their first home playoff game in a decade. Washington has the pedigree to respond. If they lay another giant dinosaur-sized egg on Thursday then I'll be worried.
Fact: The Capitals had won six straight playoff games dating back to last year. They had won all six decisions with Carolina this season prior to Game Three.
Opinion: The streaks had to end sometime. Carolina is a formidable team that finished close to Washington in the standings. This was always a loseable (Is that a word?) series. Fortunately, it's also a seven game series.
Fact: Alex Ovechkin smacked Canes forward Andrei Svechnikov in the mouth literally knocking him out.
Opinion: The Canes smacked back as an entire team. They got far more juice from the fight than the Caps did.
Fact: Carolina defenseman Dougie Hamilton had two goals in Game Three.
Opinion: Dougie Hamilton should have been suspended for Game Three for blatantly elbowing Kuzy in the head during Game Two.
Fact: Throughout the second half of the regular season, opponents began pressuring the Caps' power play more aggressively.
Opinion: Here's a live look at the Capitals' power play as they still attempt to adjust.
Fact: Washington's first line is playing well.
Opinion: Lines two through four better get in gear now. The Caps had seven 20-goal scorers this season. They need their secondary scoring to come alive. Much more bottom six play like tonight and I'll have to paraphrase the bald Captain in Top Gun, "Launch DSP on Alert 5 and launch the rescue helicopter immediately."
Fact: One coach pushed all the right buttons in Game Three.
Opinion: One coach looked like he couldn't even find the buttons. Bruce Boudreau ultimately failed in D.C. because he could not adapt during the course of a seven game series. I hope Todd Rierden is more Barry Trotz than Bruce Boudreau, but, boy, I don't know.
Fact: Late last week I said one of the teams that jumped out to a 2-0 series lead would ultimately blow that lead and lose the series.
Opinion: Uh-oh. Did Caps fans delight too much in the plight of the "Ning (if that is still a thing) and Pens?
Fact: My friend Kevin called the Capitals "gutless turds."
Opinion: The playoffs have officially begun!
There's nothing else to say but, "On to Game Four." See you Thursday.
