The Washington Capitals are one win away from completing a comeback of momentous proportions, led by the supporting cast of Matt Bradley, Tom Poti and Brooks Laich.
Game 7 is Tuesday and you can bet your life that the Capitals are more than ready. They were in this position last year against the Philadelphia Flyers, but squandered their opportunity to advance to the second round in overtime. Last year, the team played with pure adrenaline and a fire in their eyes. This year we see all those qualities return but with more poise and control.
The players lighting up the score sheet is the only difference from last year's playoff series. Instead of seeing Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green on the highlight reel, we see defenseman Poti and Bradley. Poti has two goals and four assists this postseason, the second most on the team, behind only Nicklas Backstrom.
While Poti has been providing solid, offensive help, Bradley seems to be in charge of team morale. He has been one of the most explosive players on the ice for the last two games, particularly in Game 5 when he scored the teams first two goals. His effort on the ice has not gone unnoticed, as Coach Bruce Boudreau has moved him up to the fourth line.
These less than All-Star players have been the driving force behind the team's offense, but the story of the series has been rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov. The not-yet-21 Russian phenom holds the lowest goals-against average in the post-season. Jose Theodore was pulled after a terrible Game 1 performance and Boudreau felt Varlamov could do the job better. His hunch was a good one, since Varlamov has kept them in the series.
One of the biggest concerns about the team was their lack of scoring. A team that averaged three or more goals per game all season has been held to only six in their three losses. On top of the low goal totals, Ovechkin and Green have been held to three goals and one goal respectively. A pleasant surprise has been Alexander Semin's reemergence as a serious offensive threat.
Semin was key to the Capitals fast start at the beginning of the season but trailed off after a back injury had him sidelined for a large chunk of time. His characteristic lightning-fast wrist shot off of the faceoff has returned, creating several good chances and one goal. His contribution is irreplaceable, as he started the Caps' winning ways with two goals in the team's first postseason win.
Many have tried to look past Tuesday's Game 7, which is foolish, as the Rangers cannot be underestimated. The team has been in somewhat of a freefall since their resident agitator, Sean Avery, spent 18 minutes in the penalty box during Game 3. On top of Avery's usual antics, Coach John Tortorella was suspended for Game 6 after he engaged in an altercation with a fan during Game 5. Assistant Coach Jim Schoenfeld stepped in to lead the blueshirts but was clearly outmatched. Whether Tortorella's attitude contributed to his team's poor performance, or not on Sunday will never be known. One thing is for sure though, the Caps are on a roll and the Rangers must come out with their best in Game 7.
The Verizon Center is going to be packed to the gills on Tuesday. The fans who make up the sea of red, with a little blue sprinkled in there, is in for the game of their lives. Washington found itself in the same situation last year, but came up short, losing in overtime. Alex Ovechkin looks hungry for some post-season success and he needs to get past Tuesday to achieve it.
This is what makes NHL Playoff hockey so great. This series is the comeback of the year. Only 12 percent of teams come back from going down 1-3. The Capitals don't seem to want to follow history though as they have turned in two convincing wins back-to-back. They have proven they can win on the road, now they have to slam the door shut on Tuesday.
The whole series has been a battle back and forth. It has been impossible to predict anything. The one thing we can predict though is that both teams are going to come out and leave everything on the ice.
You can reach this staff writer at atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.
