NHL PLAYOFFS UPDATE:
May 12, 2012
Just after pulling out a 2-1 win at home in Game 6, the Washington Capitals fell short in Game 7 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, in another 2-1 decision in a series in which six of the seven games were determined by one goal.
Brad Richards, of the New York Rangers, gave his team a 1-0 lead just 1:28 in the game, and Michael Del Zotto doubled the team’s advantage in the third period. Capitals’ forward Mike Knuble said, “You go back to Game 5, the last 30 seconds. That was just a huge moment and a huge swing of things. We were able to go home and battle back. Tonight they got the first shot of the game, and it goes in the net. We got the first shot and it went in in Game 6. It’s a couple of moments like that you put the finger on as to how the series played out.” The Capitals could be heard slamming their sticks against the wall as they headed off the ice and down the hallway to their dressing room. “We tried to do our best,” Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin said. “It’s terrible for me right now, but all I can say is we do have the best team _ part of the best team I’ve been on. The group of guys, the atmosphere, it’s unbelievable to play.” The Rangers will play the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division on Monday in New York.
May 10, 2012
Defying critics and rising to the occasion once again, the Caps topped the Rangers 2-1 Wednesday night to force Game 7. They will head back to New York to decide the final team in the conference finals, with the winner set to face the New Jersey Devils. The Rangers entered the post-season as the No. 1 seed while the Caps barely made it into the post-season, but that hasn’t stopped this match-up from going down to the wire. Neither team has advanced to the conference finals since the late 90s, and both of them will be putting it all on the line in Saturday’s series finale at Madison Square Garden.
A capital disappointment in the playoffs; Nationals shine atop NL East
May 7, 2012
By Ceci Ferrara
Sports writer
Sports Insider
After a much needed win in Game 4, the Caps seemed on the verge of doing it again in the final seconds of Game 5. With a win, they would be heading back to Washington with a decisive 3-2 series lead, a deficit that seemed unlikely the Rangers could overcome. But sometimes clichés like “it ain’t over ‘til it’s over” ring true, and with just under seven seconds left, it wasn’t over for the Rangers – who scored on a power play to force the game into overtime.
Success in overtime is not the Capitals’ strong suit, as anyone who watched Game 3 could tell you. But last night it didn’t take three overtime periods to declare a winner – only 1:35 minutes into the first. And just like that, the Rangers took the lead and pushed the Capitals to the brink of elimination. They are now the ones faced with the formidable task of winning two games in a row to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1998.
If it’s any consolation, the Caps have done well under pressure. With their season on the line back in late March, they surged through their final games, winning four out of five, which included the last game of the season where they outscored the Rangers 4-1.
While the thought of the Caps rebounding from last night’s loss isn’t impossible, it’s certainly not the scenario Washington hoped to be returning home to. Washington’s Joel Ward is being blamed for the loss, as he was whistled for a high-sticking penalty and was still in the box when the Rangers scored on the power play that saw them tie, and eventually win, the game. Team Captain Ovechkin was quick to dismiss this notion (which sparked racially charged posts on a number of social media sites), saying “You can’t say it was his fault. We all lost the game. We win as a group and lose as a group.”
If the Caps are able to pull out a win on Wednesday night, the series will return to New York on Saturday for Game 7.
Nationals
Not too long ago if you told someone you were a Nationals fan, they’d say something along the lines of “I’m sorry” or “Sucks to be you.” Now, they might not be so quick to dismiss you or the Nats – and rightly so. At 18-10 (.643), the Nationals have one of the best records in baseball.
That is thanks both to a cohesive team effort, as well as the impressive pitching and hitting of a few choice players. With the commanding pitching of Zimmerman and Strasburg, combined with the hitting power of Adam LaRoche, Jayson Werth, and now Bryce Harper, the Nats are becoming a force to be reckoned with. Teams no longer assume the Nats will be an easy win, and their division rivals – the Braves, Mets, Marlins and Phillies – no longer see them as the last place holder. In fact, that honor now belongs to the Phillies, who one year ago shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars to assemble what many assumed to be the best rotation of pitchers in baseball.
19-year old Bryce Harper, the youngest player in the major leagues, has recently drawn national attention, both for his impressive MLB debut and for being deliberately hit by a pitch by Phillie veteran pitcher Cole Hamels during the first inning of Sunday night’s game.
Hamels admitted in a post-game press conference that he indeed was trying to hit Harper, revealing it was something he saw growing up and he was “just trying to continue the old baseball.” The hit dealt Hamels a five-game suspension, but not after Harper got some personal revenge. When Hamels made a pickoff to first, he stole home, the first of his major league career.
While the steal wasn’t enough to win the game – the Phillies won 9-3 – the Nats still won the three game series 2-1. They head next to Pittsburgh where they will be without Werth, who broke his wrist and will be out 10-12 weeks. Thankfully, both Ryan Zimmerman and LaRoche are set to return to the lineup beginning tonight and their return, combined with Washington’s pitching rotation which has a combined 2.17 ERA, should be enough to keep the Nats on top. Bryce Harper’s .308 average doesn’t hurt either.
