I will say this till I’m blue in the face!!
Generally speaking, the Washington Capitals, probably the team with the most elite, overall, talent in the league, on paper, DO NOT play at their superior level, when they DON’T FEEL LIKE IT, and DON’T HAVE TO!! PERIOD!!!
If you simply insert this theory, at the proper time, every season, from the time that Trotz arrived, and turned this team into an unbeatable machine, when the players CHOOSE to all buy in, up to the present team under Rierden, (same great overall team talent), then things COMPLETELY make sense,
and you can practically PREDICT what’s going to happen, IF, a few certain CONDITIONS are met!
You can almost LIST THEM, and then know the general expectations!
Here are a few conditions, first, that preclude, when we then witness intermittent, low energy games, that frustrate us and appear to defy all logic:
1) We have passed at least the first 1/3 of the season, where the first signs of boredom, and complacency, are potentially possible!
2) We’ve worked hard, early on, to be in 1st place in our division!
3) When we are FAR ahead in points, to the 2nd place teams points, either by Metro div.,Eastern conf.,or maybe even the ENTIRE league!
4) Thus, the atmosphere exists, and that beast WILL SHOW its ugly, prideful, head!!
This has been the fucking same repeated pattern, every season since Trotz arrived, and although I thought we may have started to begin shedding this damn pervasive SPELL, that comes upon us every year… WE HAVEN’T!!
Oh, don’t worry fans!
The boys WILL remain atop the division! (They’ll monitor it carefully!)
The boys WILL make the playoffs, no problem!
For the 1000th time, they will DIAL IT IN, WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT!
Rierden is IMPOTENT, to stop it!!
Hell...TROTZ, himself, could only barely manage it, most of the time, and TROTZ, represents THE PINNACLE of coaches, who have an uncanny ability to get the MAXIMUM effort, from even lesser talented players! Look what he did with the Islanders! THIS IS HIS FORTE, and even HE couldn’t crack this phenomenon!
Let’s not forget that this issue, on the one hand, is actually a LUXURY, to have for ANY cities’ hockey team! It’s been a rare occurrence throughout NHL history, for a city to have a team that is SO GOOD, that they can actually afford to let off the gas, when they get complacent, and still dominate their division, and make the playoffs… GUARANTEED!!
On the other hand, it REAKS of the attitude of SPOILED, SISSY, CHILDREN, Who actually have it ALL, and instead of being appreciative, take advantage of the loyalty and unique admiration, heaped upon them by millions of their fans, WHO, by the way, are the entire reason they’ve been blessed with a one-in-a-million, opportunity of a lifetime!!
For you fans that can “roll with that”, and be accepting of it, without complaint, Well then,... I sincerely applaud, your ability to “grow with the times”, and actually respect your ability to be at peace with it!
My old ass CAN’T, and probably never will!! But I’ll still be a fan, because I’m smart enough to know that I can’t do a damn thing about it!!
You may notice, that when I gripe about our Caps, especially when they start having a bad spell, you will see me get quite vocal about my frustration, in a stomp my feet kind of way!
However MY complaints, are about individuals, and coaches, and team attitude, but all the while, I never, have thoughts that the sky is falling for the season on the CAPS!
[size=78%]I know they’re fucking complacent asses all too well!! And I get damn resentful at them!![/size]
All the while knowing they will most likely again, finish first in the Metro, and make the playoffs! (OH, they’ll make DAMN sure of that!)
I will also be there FERVENTLY rooting them on!
But boy, I hate paying the price of being a fan of these guys, during this part of the season!!
Rush