Judging by the Capitals’ first playoff game and the latter-half of the regular season, the Caps have proved themselves worthy of a promising playoff run. The new head coach, Adam Oates, has had his bumps in the road, but has adjusted well to the Caps’ style. He started off the season with a 1-6 record, with no hopes of improvement. They finished off the season, however, with an 11-2 record, boosting them to a Southeast Division Title.
The Capitals are very familiar with playing the Rangers in the playoffs. They have played each other four times in the past five years. The first game of this year’s best-of-seven series was a shining moment for the Capitals, who beat the Rangers 3-1 in Washington.
The only position in which the Caps have some doubt is goalie, with 23 year-old Braden Holtby between the pipes. However, last season, Holtby proved to be the Caps’ hero, helping the Caps stun the Bruins in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.
The Capitals best player of the season, once again, has been left wing Alex Ovechkin. Last season was one of the worst of his career, scoring a mere 38 goals in a full, 82-game season. However, this year was a typical Ovie year, as he led the league in goals for the third time, with 32 goals in a lockout-shortened season. In a goal-scoring spree, he scored 23 goals in the final 23 games of the season.
The Caps have a very bright future ahead of them in the playoffs. If they continue to play as they did in Game 1, and Holtby stays strong in net, then the Caps could continue in their road to the Stanley Cup.