capcrunch98

I know it's only April, but we needed that one.

Done. So we're in the 2nd WC slot with 2 games to go. Isles have all but wrapped up the 3rd seed in the Metro, so we're fighting for WC2 and a matchup with the Rangers. That's scary, but as Caps fans have learned the hard way over many years, anything is possible in the postseason and 1st round upsets happen all the time. We probably need a point vs. Boston on Monday, and obviously a win in Philly on Tuesday.

Still have a pulse through 80 games, and we live another day. Very pleasantly surprised.

Food at ballparks has really come a long way. Growing up, the options for me at Capital Centre and Memorial Stadium were stale nachos, plain hot dogs, and pizza that tasted like cardboard (Capital Centre had a local chain called Pizza Movers, if anybody remembers them). Now stadium food is so creative, I know a couple who goes to Camden Yards and Nats Park a couple times per year specifically for the grub.

Totally agree that this story doesn't pass the smell test. But when you live your life as a narcissist, murdering piece of **** like OJ did, having people line up to piss on your grave kinda goes with the territory.

Absolute terrible night for us. We lost a game we needed to win. The Isles overcome a 3rd period deficit and win. The Flyers snap an 8-game skid in an away game against the best team in the league (points-wise). The Pens win, but not before letting the Wings rally from a late 2-goal 3rd period deficit to get a point. We're officially in the "need to win out (or at the very least take 2 of our last 3, and get a point in the other), and also need some help on the scoreboard" category. Any regulation loss from this point forward ends our season. Not looking good with Tampa and Boston coming up. After 79 games, we are who our record says we are. They fought hard this year, but they're just not good enough.

Can't lose twice to Buffalo in 10 days and expect to make the playoffs. If this score holds, they're probably going to have to secure 5 out of 6 points their last 3 games. That's a tall order considering 2 of those games are against Boston and Tampa.

I agree, but they played themselves out of a good draft pick several months ago. So as a fan, it only makes sense for me to live in the moment and cheer for a playoff berth. There's a strong possibility this season is the last chance for Ovi, Oshie, and Carlson to make the postseason.

A piece of **** with cancer is still a piece of ****.

True. Honestly, if they make the postseason, they're going to get their asses handed to them by the Rangers or the Bruins. If they somehow manage the 3rd spot in the Metro, I could see them pushing Carolina to 6 or maybe 7 games, because they seem to match up well against them. At the same time, they've played themselves out of a good draft pick, so we may as well root for a playoff berth, even if it will amount to nothing more than a one and done.

17 shots against in the first period of the most important game of the season. I see they're going with the 'let's hope Charlie steals one for us' game plan. Yet again.

We may or may not make the playoffs next week. But tonight is basically a Game 7 for our season.

Jumping into high-end free agency. That 's one alternative to rebuilding the right way (i.e. taking your licks for a few years, and stocking up on high draft picks who will be under team control at reasonable salaries for a long time). And it's a risky alternative. Signing a guy like Reinhart, hoping his 50 - 60 goal season is sustainable (even though it's almost double his career high, and he won't be playing with half the talent in DC which he is in Florida). There's a chance it works out,, but there's a really big chance it won't. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for this team - which has almost zero secondary scoring - to add a weapon up front. I just don't think it would address all the other flaws we have.

The only way to truly replace those guys is to draft and develop them. They're not available on the waiver wire, or via mid-grade free agent signings, or via trade (unless you want to give up a lot in return). It's very rare that a team can effectively replace an entire aging core without sucking for a few years and rebuilding through several top #5 draft picks. And speaking of high draft picks, that really sucks that we're going to likely miss the playoffs, and not even have a top #10 first round pick to show for it. That's like your wife leaving you because she catches you having an online affair with someone, but you don't even get to bang the girl (I actually know a guy that happened to, btw). Crappy night to be a Caps fan.

Officiating sucked for sure, but the refs aren't to blame for us getting outshot 3-1. We were hanging on, trying to steal a win.

Well, they made it to the first week of April in a playoff spot, which is a lot better than most of us expected of them just a few months ago. But flirting with a hot girl at the bar for a few hours - making her laugh and buying her drinks - doesn't mean much if she just gives you her email address and then goes home with another guy at the end of the night. The Caps aren't out of it yet - a win tomorrow vs. Carolina and a win Sunday vs. a crappy Ottawa team would put them back in the drivers seat. But that hot girl at the bar is definitely starting to talk to other dudes.

I'm not seeing a team who deserves to be in the playoffs. Aside from some good stretches against the Bruins on Saturday, this club has been very disappointing since their emotional win 9 days ago versus Detroit.

I hate labeling games as 'must-win' but tomorrow against Pittsburgh is probably one. Bubble teams who want to make the playoffs can't lose 4 games in a row at this point of the season.

Buffalo is not a bad team - they've got a good young core and a lot of people were picking them to make the playoffs this year. But we need at least a point out of this one.

With awesome seats like that, I'm surprised you didn't run into Biden, Taylor Swift, and Jeff Bezos!

They were never going to win every game down the stretch. I'm not pissed with the loss - sorta expected it after the emotional win on Tuesday at home. Detroit and Philly both fell tonight, so we didn't lose any ground. But giving up 50 shots is concerning. If they don't tighten up defensively on Saturday against Boston, the Bruins are going to eat their lunches.

I'm not a Leonsis apologist by any means, but comparisons to Snyder are nonsense. Danny took a legendary franchise with one of the most loyal fanbases in sports, and turned it all into dog **** (both on and off the field). Leonsis did the opposite - he bought a club that was a junior varsity operation it's entire 25 year existence, and turned it into one of the hottest tickets in town. For as good as a man as Abe Pollin seemed to be, he was a terrible owner of the Caps, and made very little effort to hide the fact they were nothing more than an investment for him. As a person, Ted seemed like a good guy the first several years he owned the club. Always meeting with fans on the concourse at every game, making himself fully accessible to the fans and media, and answering every email and every concern brought to him. As a longtime STH, I had several interactions with him at fan events and I was always impressed. He doesn't do this anymore, maybe because he doesn't have the time, or maybe because he really has changed over the years.

Looks like the deal to move the Caps and Lizards to Alexandria is officially dead. Now Ted is at the mercy of the DC Council, at least until another VA or MD suitor comes calling.

Meh, we've gotten plenty of them too. But I'm with you that we really need to catch the Flyers. After this rough season, I'll be grateful for any playoff berth. But if we want to do anything more than one-and-done, we need the 3rd seed in the Metro. Playing Carolina would be no easy task, but they're a lot more vulnerable than the Rangers or Bruins (the two teams we'd likely play with the 2nd wildcard). No way either Boston or New York loses in the first round again this year (as they did last year).

Yeah, it's not often you see deadline sellers make a run. I think what saved us is this year was clearly a buyers market. If GMBM would've gotten a fair, solid offer for Lindgren and Dowd, both of them would be gone, and our season would've been over 2 weeks ago. Good on him for not giving them away for dog ****, which I'm sure is what he was offered.