Ovie with another line on his resume to claim the title of greatest goal-scorer ever. Now 9 fifty-goal seasons PLUS a 49-goal season PLUS two other shortened seasons where he was certainly on pace to score 50. This season was the one he needed to now become IMO more likely than not to eclipse Gretsky. 30 goals per season for the next 4 will do it, so he has quite a bit of room for age regression and would still be able to pull it off. Probably his biggest obstacle now is serious injury.
Wayne and Beagle are getting to one of the two cruxes of the playoff picture, but I think of it differently. Given the Caps' limitations, they are likely going to be in trouble at some point(s) during the playoffs. So who do you want to start, with the other available to turn to when you get in trouble? Do you start the steadier but less capable Vanacek and if you get behind in a series, turn to the wild card Samsonov? Or do you start Samsonov hoping he gets hot and if/when he doesn't, or cools off, have the steadier hand to bring in in reserve?
Or could LaViolette actually take the real gamble and continue rotating them in the playoffs, trying to play them off against each other and motivate each to shine while keeping them relatively fresh? Yeah, yeah, I know: That's not the way it's done in the playoffs -- you pick a horse and go with him unless/until circumstances force you to change. But this team is a real longshot for a championship anyway. Is this a year to roll the dice on a novel approach?
Ultimately though, I don't think the goalie situation makes a lot of difference unless officiating changes for the playoffs and allow teams to play a much heavier game. That's the only way the Caps are going to be able to stay with some of these racehorse teams over an extended series -- try to lean on them and wear them down.
