Capitals Set to Play Montreal in First Round of the Playoffs

The Washington Capitals found out yesterday that they would face eighth seeded Montreal in the first round of the playoffs. The series will start in DC on Thursday at 7. With a final sigh of relief, the Capitals can now put the regular season behind them, a season in which they achieved every goal possible weeks ago, and look forward to the ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup.

The Bad News:

Montreal has played the Caps tough this season with a split season series. The teams met for the first time on Nov. 20 at the Verizon Center and the Caps lost in regulation 2-3. They met again in Montreal on Nov. 28 this time with a 4-3 shootout win for the Caps. The Caps won the third match in DC on January 5, 4-2 and Montreal took the final game in Montreal on February 10 in a 5-6 overtime game. The Canadiens have the second ranked power play in the league scoring 5 power play goals in those 4 games. Montreal found themselves in the number eight seed last season as well and forced seven games against Boston. Such a long series is not what the Caps will be hoping for this year. For the last two seasons, the Caps have opened the playoffs with a seven game series, losing one and winning the other. Both years the Caps had very slow starts and had to come from a 3 game to 1 deficit in order to force that game seven. After such a dominant season, a seven game series may hurt the confidence of a Capitals team that is ready for a long post season run. It may also fatigue the team as we saw last season against Pittsburgh. After opening the series with two wins, the Caps lost 3 of the next 4 games, 3 of which went to overtime. The team then collapsed in game 7 with a 2-6 loss. The Capitals will certainly be hoping for a very dominant and quick series against the Canadiens to start.

Montreal is one of the original six hockey teams. In the city, hockey is king. The Caps can expect a fiery fan base when they visit Montreal in games 3, 4, and possibly 6 if the series goes that long. This is goaltender Jose Theodore's former team and is one that he traditionally does not play well against. His record against them is 2-1-0, but his GAA is 4.05 and save percentage is .877. Head coach Bruce Boudreau seems to be aware of this as Theodore did not start any of the 4 games against Montreal this season. There is also some question as to who the number 6 defensive player will be. Milan Jurcina was picked up at the trade deadline for this role, but he has been out with a sport's hernia and will most likely be out for a few weeks. The Caps brought up prospect Jon Carlson who has played well, but lately his game has looked off especially yesterday against Boston. Tyler Sloan sat out with a minor injury and Jon Erskine is not as good as either player and takes far too many unnecessary penalties, something the Capitals cannot afford against such a potent power play.

The Good News:

The Capitals have just completed one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory. With the experience of the last two seasons and the the added motivation of having to watch Pittsburgh hoist the Cup last season, their big rivals and a team the Caps feel they should have beaten, the Caps feel driven more than ever to go all the way. While the Caps have gotten off to slow starts in the playoffs, they have been looking ahead to the playoffs for quite some time, feeling relieved after yesterday's game ended just so they could start. Two years ago the Caps had to go on an incredible winning streak just to make the playoffs. It took a lot out of the team and they came into the series flat. Last season the Caps coasted into the post season finishing the regular season with a string of games against teams that had nothing to play for. This season with games against Boston, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta, and with the division, conference, and President's trophy locked up, the Caps could cruise the last few weeks while still playing important games against tough teams. It was a great combination that should help the Caps. Montreal meanwhile is limping into the playoffs losing 8 of their last 11. They looked to have the 6th spot locked up weeks ago but instead fell all the way to 8th.

Montreal may have the second best power play in the league, but the Capitals have the top powerplay and set a franchise record this season for fewest penalty minutes, and that includes those big penalties Alex Ovechkin took. While all eyes, including those of the referees, will be on the great 8 during the playoffs, especially in Montreal, it is unlikely Montreal will find themselves in a position in which their powerplay can keep up with Washington's high powered offense.

Jose Theodore has had one of the best seasons of his career. He hasn't lost in regulation since January going 20-0-3. After the death of his infant son this summer, Theodore rebounded with a great season. Since he is such a mental goaltender, two opening games at home should build up his confidence enough to face his old team. If not, Boudreau's playoff history both in the AHL and NHL last season show that he's not afraid to switch goaltenders. Semyon Varlamov's first start in the NHL was at Montreal and he came away with a 2-1 victory. While he has struggled at times this season, he has proven he is not easy to intimidate. This will be the first playoff start for Montreal's probable goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Defending against the Capitals may be a tall order and the Caps may see a lot of Carey Price if Halak falters.

The Capitals' defense also has a major size advantage over Montreal's offense. Not one of Montreal's forwards are over 6 ft. tall while none of the Capitals' defense men are less than six ft. tall. Montreal will have to rely on speed more than strength to score meaning that Montreal will struggle to get goals from their third and fourth lines, lines supposed to be for more physical players. This also means the Caps defensemen should be able to keep screeners away from in front of Theodore giving him a much easier job protecting the net.

Ultimately, most analysts do not give Montreal much of a chance saying that fans should be happy that they were able to make the playoffs in the first place. If the Capitals are firing on all cylinders then they will be tough to beat. I believe the key to the series and the entire playoffs for Washington will be games 1 and 2. The Capitals have the best team in the league, the best offense in the league, the best goal differential in the league, and the best player in the world. If they cannot win both of their opening home games against probably the weakest team in the playoffs in either conference, I don't think this team is ready for the Cup just yet. If, however, they win both, then it shows how focused they are and how much they have matured from last season. Their confidence will grow and they will be tough to beat. If they win their first two games, it is going to be a long and deep playoff run for the Caps which might just end with them hoisting the Cup.