Caps’ additions bring some savvy

Matt Bradley’s first playoff series was a success, but that’s not the common theme among the Washington Capitals with previous postseason experience.

Bradley’s San Jose Sharks dispatched the Phoenix Coyotes in five games in the 2002 playoffs before losing to Colorado in seven in the semifinals.

“Our fans in San Jose were crazy, and so were the ones in Phoenix,” Bradley said. “That’s when they were doing the White Out, so it was like our fans here only it was all white [instead of red]. It was a fun experience and something that I’ll never forget.”

Matt Cooke’s Vancouver Canucks were without their top two scorers when Colorado swept them in the 2001. Sergei Fedorov’s Detroit Red Wings gave up a 3-1 series lead to St. Louis in 1991. Cristobal Huet’s Montreal Canadiens won his first two playoff games in 2005-06 — on the road, no less — before the Carolina Hurricanes switched goalies and 21-year-old Cam Ward led them to a Stanley Cup.

While none of the three new additions won a series in their first playoff experience, the important thing for the Caps is they witnessed the highs and lows of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Caps had one of the youngest teams in the NHL this season and were a bit light when it came to Stanley Cup playoff exposure, but the additions at the trade deadline in late February — especially Fedorov and Cooke — were a big step to help correct that.

“If anything [playoff experience] is underrated,” Cooke said. “We’ve been playing playoff hockey for a long time, but for the most part there isn’t one game that was played with the intensity the playoffs are played at. You go out and play a great game on such an emotional high and you win, but then two days later you have to come up with the exact same thing against the exact same team.”

Tom Poti, who still hasn’t won a playoff series in five tries with three different teams, lost to the Dallas Stars three times with the Edmonton Oilers. The Stars swept Edmonton in his first series, but all four games were one-goal contests, and Game 4 went three overtimes.

Olie Kolzig’s first playoff experience came in relief of Jim Carey during a seven-game loss to Pittsburgh in 1995. Donald Brashear’s Montreal Canadiens lost to Boston in seven games in 1994. New Jersey swept Viktor Kozlov’s Florida Panthers in 2000.

Still, Poti wasn’t buying it as a trend.

“I think that is just a coincidence,” he said. “It is nice to have a few games under your belt and get your feet wet and know what to expect, but I don’t think [it matters] whether it is your first playoff game or your 15th. You have to be ready to go out and try to win.”

Several of the Caps besides Bradley have had playoff success. Fedorov won three Cups with Detroit. Kolzig led the Caps to the finals against Fedorov in 1998, and Brashear came within one win of the finals with Philadelphia in 2004.

“If they have questions, I answer them,” Cooke said of imparting his postseason wisdom to the younger Caps. “But for the most part it is going to be an experience thing for them to realize what the games are like, and that will happen in the first five minutes of the first game.”

Bradley can remember that moment from his experience.

“I just remember being at the bench during a timeout, and Darryl Sutter was trying to say something to me,” Bradley said. “He was behind the bench, and I was on the ice, and I had no idea what he was saying because it was so loud. That’s when it really clicked in like, ’Man, this is really fun hockey.’ “

Notes — Defensemen Jeff Schultz and Shaone Morrisonn returned to practice yesterday and could be available tomorrow for Game 1. Morrisonn missed the last two games of the regular season after a hit by Carolina’s Jeff Hamilton forced him out with an upper body injury. Schultz left the season finale against Florida with an undisclosed injury.

“Yesterday wasn’t as far along as I expected, but today I went through a lot of improvement,” Schultz said. “It kind of brings some excitement that I am on my way to 100 percent.”

Added Morrisonn: “It feels better than it did yesterday, and tomorrow is another day, so hopefully I’ll be ready for Friday.”