Five huge questions for the 2010-2011 Capitals
By: Turner Sports Desk
Jim Turner
The Washington Capitals are heavy favorites to hoist
Lord Stanley’s Cup at season’s end but after another early playoff exit and a
relatively movement free off season five huge questions loom over this franchise that continues to tell fans they have a plan...much like the Cylons.
- Is Bruce Boudreau’s
system-coaching conducive to winning a Stanley Cup? – Boudreau’s defenders
always make mention of the fact that Bruce has won at every level he’s
coached. Another fact they choose to ignore is the fact that he has not won at the NHL level so this remains a legitimate question until
a team Gabby coaches is hoisting a Stanley Cup. Just in case you missed it Boudreau has taken three Caps teams into the playoffs. The first run had the Caps lucky to just be in the playoffs, the
second trip had the Caps lose to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions after surviving the Rangers but
the third trip had the Caps regress no matter how anyone tries to spin it. Sooner or later the fingers are going to start pointing
at Boudreau. Either it is the system or he is not motivating his team to reach another level.
- Do
the Caps have a Stanley
Cup quality Goalie? – Semyon Varlamov has stretches where he is
amazing but he has similar stretches where he looks lost in big games. In
fairness I find it hard to question the Caps goalies without first taking
the defense and forwards to task but Varlamov has not exactly been a
pillar of strength between the pipes either. Meanwhile Michal Neuvirth
keeps winning Calder Cups in the AHL and appears to be more consistent in
terms of both playoff performance and the ability to stay healthy. Do the
Caps need a veteran in case both young goalies suffer mental meltdowns?
- Does
younger translate to better with regard to the Caps defense? Gone is
Shaonne Morrisonn and enter John Carlson and Karl Alzner. Many would argue
the Caps needed to get more experience along the blue line but apparently
GM, George McPhee decided that a youth movement will bring about the best
result. Both Carlson and Alzner have experience in big games but what does
that translate to during the NHL playoffs?
- Can
the Caps finish opponents off? – We all watched the 8th seed
Montreal Canadiens defeat the #1 seed Caps with a combination of stellar
goaltending, suffocating defense and opportunistic goal scoring. The Caps
played hard but many believe that they did not play smart enough in terms of being able to adjust on the fly and finish the Canadiens. Teams that win cups learn how to finish games/series.
Thus far in three playoff runs the Caps have failed to finish 3 series out
of 4. The numbers don’t lie no matter how you try to spin it.
- Can
the Caps win big games at home? – Who would have ever thought anyone would be
asking this question given the tremendous home ice support the Caps get? The bottom line is every playoff series the Caps lost it has been at the Verizon Center in front of a packed sea of
red clad Cap-maniacs. The Montreal Canadiens appeared to be the exact opposite
as they beat both the Caps and the defending champion Penguins on the road. Once is a fluke, twice is heart breaking but three times is a tendency. The numbers don't lie so would the Caps fare better on the road?