For the second year in a row the Caps locked up the number one seed and were projected to be the Eastern conference champions, but for the fourth year in a row they underperformed and failed to advance beyond the second round.  The fact of the matter here is that the Caps just can’t step it up enough in the playoff heat to contend and win championships.

Back in 2008, the Caps came in as the three seed, playing the Philadelphia Flyers, and lost the series 4-3.  In 2009, the Caps came into the mix as the two seed, managing to win their first round match-up against the New York Rangers before the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated them in the second round.  Last year was similar story; the boys came into the playoffs with the one seed and the best record in hockey, but were outplayed by the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens and fell in the first round.  This year’s failure seems like nothing more than a broken record; the Caps came in with the top seed, won the first round convincingly 4-1, then were swept by the Lightning in the second round.

Some may point their finger at coach Bruce Boudreau, but really it comes down to the guys rockin’ the red on the ice.  Boudreau rescued the floundering team half way through the season by switching to a more defensive scheme, which boosted the Caps to the number one seat in the playoffs. Boudreau needs to get his guys to stick to the game plan for the full 60 minutes and capitalize on more power play goals.

The playoffs demand the Capitals best players to be just that, and nothing less.  But none of the Caps’ star players stepped up and took charge.  Two-time MVP Alex Ovechkin only had ten points this postseason and a secondary assist in the final game.  Coming off a 101-point season, star center Nicklas Backstrom heads back to his home in Sweden without notching a goal in his last 17 games.  And after a stellar performance in the first round against the Rangers, Alex Semin was nearly invisible in Tampa.

The problem for the Caps lies in the locker room; the players need to take charge and play like the championship team they are. On the bright side, the Caps’ young goalie Michal Neuvirth played like a true veteran, staying poised between the pipes.  In overtime in game one against the Rangers, Neuvirth stopped everything that came at him, and he recorded his first playoff shutout in game two.  He’s showing great promise for years to come and might be the key for future success.