Courtesy: Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Both the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks came into Friday’s contest with an inability to improve or hurt their positions in the standings. Based on Washington’s ability to cruise to a 4-0 victory, it was clear that the two teams were on opposite ends of the spectrum.
In looking at the Capitals, they played to have fun. After all, even though professional athletes get paid to play the game they love, most do actually enjoy the grind of a professional sports season.
You could see that when in the third period, Washington was pushing to try and snag Jay Beagle his first career hat trick on the same night he netted two goals for his first career multi-goal game.
Even head coach Adam Oates admitted that while it is tough for coaches and players alike to get up for these kinds of games, they have a responsibility to themselves, the organization, but most importantly, the fans as they pay good money to attend and support their team.
Chicago is a team who needs rest and recovery before the playoffs and a game like Friday’s, while not appealing to Blackhawks fans, isn’t devastating for morale. It was likely expected to happen. No Patrick Kane. No Jonathan Toews. No Duncan Keith. Talk about an insurmountable mountain to climb on a night-to-night basis without those three key pieces.
And Washington took advantage in a meaningless hockey game as they should have, but disappointment still looms over D.C.’s hockey franchise not playing meaningful hockey after Sunday.
Think about Jaroslav Halak. He went from one of the best teams in the Western Conference – and the NHL – in the St. Louis Blues, was traded to one of the worst in the Buffalo Sabres and was subsequently dealt to Washington to try and spur a playoff run. It didn’t work out and now he is on the outside looking in of the playoff race and possibly on cashing in on a big money deal with another franchise.
As good as any wins are like this, captain Alexander Ovechkin told the media the truth following the game by essentially saying he would trade a 50-goal season for a trip to the playoffs. He knows his legacy has taken a hit because of minimal success in the postseason and all of the individual accolades in the world won’t replace the playoff stigmas attached to his name.
The sad part is: Washington has the talent, but they don’t have it at certain spots and fail to play at max effort throughout an entire 60-minute hockey game. Tonight’s game didn’t show any of those issues as the Capitals were on cruise control throughout the final stanza, but they know their deficiencies as an organization.
At this stage of the game, it’s a matter of finding out whether or not Washington is in rebuilding or contending mode for 2014-15.
