By Rand Paul
Obama acts as though we no longer have a Constitution
Independent voices from the TWT Communities
Ovechkin was held scoreless for the final five games against the Rangers and said he had some "bruises" but nothing that affected his performance.
The Caps spent much of the past couple of weeks making officials part of the story of the series. Maybe that was the problem.
Scoring 23 goals in 23 games, he was the reason the Caps' season turned around. But totaling just a goal and an assist in seven games against the New York Rangers made him the focal point of yet another early playoff exit.
That the Rangers may be a smidge better is not arguable. Five-oh better? No way. That a tight series became a laugher in the finale can be, in part, blamed on the Caps' ugly playoff past. There's not an elephant in that room. There's a herd of them in there and it is not an easy thing to clear out.
Given the tightness of the series, it was shocking that the Caps did not put up a fight in being eliminated. And the end unfolded in stunning fashion.
Going into Monday night's deciding Game 7, Nash had just one assist amid plenty of speculation that he's playing through injury.
Against a team with a more functional power play, Washington would already be done. The Rangers are 2-for-26 with the man advantage (including 0-for-3 when up five-on-three) through six games.
The Capitals committed five penalties during their 1-0 loss in Game 6 and never had a power play. Postseason success is rarely a tidy matter for this team, and another round of undisciplined play ensured that Sunday.
If the old cliché that a playoff series doesn't begin until the home team loses a game is to be believed, the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers haven't even gotten started. But it's not just that the Caps are 3-0 at Verizon Center and Rangers 2-0 at Madison Square Garden so far in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, it's that the location of the games has seemingly made all the difference.
Joel Ward, Game 5 and the New York Rangers. That combination, before Friday night, was synonymous with missed opportunity and disappointment for the Washington Capitals. This year’s script was different, though. Friday night’s had a happy ending. As Ward glided toward his teammates to celebrate the Caps’ 2-1 overtime victory at Verizon Center, he was redeemed.
If 19-year-old rookie Tom Wilson wasn't wide-eyed during his 6:24 of uneventful ice time, he was afterward. He's unbeaten as a Cap, as Washington posted a 2-1 victory in overtime on Mike Ribeiro's first goal of the series
Martin Erat won't be in the Washington Capitals' lineup for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Friday night against the New York Rangers after suffering an apparent left wrist or forearm injury in Game 4.
Alex Ovechkin can't get away from New York Rangers defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi. No matter if it's at Verizon Center or Madison Square Garden, the Washington Capitals captain will have to deal with being the focal point for the rest of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Caps managed to right themselves and climb out of a two-goal hole, but an ill-timed penalty by Jason Chimera and breakdowns in the defensive zone proved disastrous.
The 29-year-old skated for more than an hour Wednesday but was limited. Laich hasn't played since aggravating a groin injury April 4 and said he had skated a few times before Wednesday and was "unsure" on a timeline.
"It's very difficult," coach Adam Oates said. "The guys that we use to kill, the trickle-down minutes affect other guys. Some guys sit on the bench, don't kill penalties. It makes it hard for them to get into their game."
