The Caps were doing this with 10:00 to go. Far too long to playing that way post season.
Ordinarily I'd agree, but with Eller out, the Caps were down to Backstrom, Dowd, and whatever at center and LaViolette was mixing lines like a chef who doesn't have all the ingredients he needs to make dinner. Of course they were just trying to hang on -- they were in duck soup and were trying to steal away with another win.
At this point there can be no expectation of playoff success from this team. They just don't have the horses left at this point to do it. Sucks, but that's the way things go. If the only thing that counts is success at a particular time of year rather than throughout the season, the team -- the entire team -- has to be ready to go at that particular time.
I've got to believe that a hockey lifer like LaViolette is looking rather evil-eyed at Kuzy and Samsonov right now. They appear to be two peas in a pod, and I bet that it is a pod that Lavi is none to happy to have infesting his garden. This franchise could be facing a VERRRRRRY interesting summer.
I wonder what Ovie thinks of all this. I'm sure he has a soft spot for his Russian teammates, but when they let the franchise down like this when the playoffs are around the corner, with his career heading into the end stages and chances for further titles narrowing, he has to feel conflicted.
