Anyone who has been following the Capitals for at least five years knows how to tolerate failure. Well, maybe not tolerate, but certainly accept. I mean, it is not as if we have any other choice in the matter. Like most Caps fans (except a certain few, everlasting pessimists), we thought that the 2009-2010 season was going to be different. We had a glimmer of hope that this could be the season.
It wasn't. Simple as that. Some people want to blame Halak, others want to blame Boudreau. Most Pens fans blame Ovechkin. I have yet to understand all these individuals being blamed for a team sport. It isn't like anyone scored on their own net in overtime (
*Cough*Boyle*Cough*). It was a team failure, for sure.
The regular season, sure, it was fine. A team that racks up 121 points is a good team, for sure. But jog back you memory a little. How many of those overtime wins did the Capitals only decide to start playing in the middle of the third period? How many time did they sit comfortably with a lead in the first and watch it slip away? How many games did the team act like skill, and skill alone, would help them prevail? Too often. I would wonder how that fares in the regular season versus the playoffs.