Caps Fall

Tough game. Anytime you lose in sudden death OT, the finality of it is pretty stunning. It's super exciting if you win but pretty heartbreaking if you lose. It was an exciting game but it just didn't go our way. Each team had their chances and I really felt like the Caps were going to come out on top but it wasn't meant to be.

Still, it was a tremendous year. To even get to the playoffs was an accomplishment. Also, I think they exceeded their expectations and also there is no question this year can serve as a great learning experience for next year. The playoff experience will better prepare them for next year.

The good news is that we have a very young and talented team that should be great for years to come. The sad part is that Kolzig probably played his last game as a Cap. Apparently he removed his nameplate from his locker after last night's game and didn't want to speak to the media. That action though speaks volumes on his thoughts. The interesting thing will be what we do with Huet. He is an UFA and there will be no doubt he will be sought after coming off of his stellar play the last couple of months. He is a little older so I don't know how much we want to invest in the guy. We have to keep in mind that we still have a quality goaltender in Brent Johnson.

I don't expect much to change with this team during the offseason and now we have a coach the players respect. We have players that believe. We have the league MVP. We have players that understand what it takes and will mature. We have an owner committed to winning. These are all great things and another great thing is Boudreau sets the bar high. His goal is not to just win the division or make the playoffs but rather to win the the Stanley Cup and he believes we can. I think he has passed that down to the players and even the fans. With this year's experience and the growth of the players and some minor additions, I certainly believe that we are good enough to win it.