Because the Washington Capitals were done before the final horn in Game 7 Monday night, those watching had some extra time to contemplate general manager George McPhee's work this offseason. But after the Caps became the only NHL team to make the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of the past six years and not reach at least the conference finals, don't expect much to look different when they open the 2013-14 season.
There's a bunch of turkeys at Camp Leatherneck — and they're not Marines.
The Capitals' reputation as a team that can't get it done in the playoffs is well-established. Here's a look at how each playoff exit happened, with some help from ex-coach Bruce Boudreau.
Virginia Democrats renewed their demands Monday that Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli resign after the Republican gubernatorial candidate belatedly disclosed about $13,000 worth of gifts on Friday that he claimed he forgot to note in four years' worth of economic disclosure reports.
Now years and thousands of miles removed from his own glory days with the Washington Capitals, all Bruce Boudreau can do sometimes is prepare and hope. He has Anaheim in the playoffs in just his second year behind the bench, but he knows a regular-season turnaround like he authored in Washington isn't enough.
It's not exactly the tortoise and the hare, this second-round NCAA matchup between flamboyant Mississippi and wary Wisconsin.
The owners also will consider a change to instant replay rules allowing for a video review even when a coach makes an illegal challenge. The league meetings are next week in Phoenix.
The tuck rule could disappear from NFL games if owners approve a proposal from the competition committee to dump it.
Washington's aggressive trade last winter to move up in the draft to select Robert Griffin III continues to pay off, and this is the latest reward. With that critical puzzle piece in place, the Redskins can spend this week addressing other needs.
