Capitals Survive to Force Game 7

Photo Credit: Susan Walsh/AP Photo

You thought the Washington Capitals were done for. That's what the Capitals players have been thriving off of. Forward Joel Ward told reporters, "I think everyone's been counting us out since the beginning of the playoffs. Within ourselves, we're very confident in ourselves and our abilities." This is a bold statement from a player who cost his team a Game 5 win by committing a foolish high-sticking penalty near the end of the third period. Many people, commentators and writers alike, thought that the Capitals would fold under the pressure of a must-win game, just like they had done time and time again in recent years. But the Capitals were determined to not let that stop them this year.

In Game 6, the Capitals came out right away on a mission. This mission, to attack quickly and aggressively, was led by their star and captain, Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin was coming off a surprisingly poor Game 5, in which he had zero shots. Determined to not let this happen again, the Caps pieced together some pretty passing to set up Ovie for a one-timer. The two-time NHL MVP made no mistake about it as he blistered home the game's first goal, just 88 seconds into the first period. From there, it was basically the Braden Holtby Show. Holtby, despite being a playoff rookie goalie, absolutely stood on his head once again. Again and again, the Rangers shots and plays were snuffed out by Holtby. Midway through the second period, Jason Chimera tapped in a deflected shot to double the Capitals' lead. The confidence of the Capitals and their home crowd continued to grow.

As the third period drew to a close, the Rangers continued their onslaught of shots, trying to get anything past Holtby. Marian Gaborik finally did with less than a minute left, but it was too little, too late. Holtby and the Capitals held on to win 2-1 to force a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. I still believe the Rangers are the better team, but the Capitals have proved that you can't count them out. This Capitals team is not a team of years past, but they still need one more must-win to advance. They haven't been able to do this in the past, but this year's squad has shown that they are capable of making it happen. Game 7 should be a dandy. The winner gets a date with the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals.