Caps proving as tough as Rangers
Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals battles for the puck against Ryan McDonagh #27 of the New York Rangers. (May 9, 2012) Credit: Getty Images
"We're a cool team in here. We don't really crack."
Those post-Game 6 comments could have been expressed by anyone on either side of this Rangers-Capitals series, though the way the Rangers have established themselves throughout this season, you might think they'd come from the New York side.
But those words came from Jason Chimera, whose second-period goal proved to be the winner for Washington in Wednesday's 2-1 victory by the Capitals.
The Caps haven't been known for resiliency or mental toughness during the last few years, but they've shown plenty of both as they, like the Rangers, head toward a second straight Game 7 Saturday night at the Garden.
The difference for the Capitals is that, after Bruce Boudreau was fired in February and Dale Hunter took over, few thought offensive players such as Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom could make a commitment to defense first. But as big as Ovechkin's three goals in this series have been, he has made some big shot blocks, including one with his hand in the third period of Game 6.
"We don't want to stop playing," Ovechkin said. "We don't want to finish the season . . . Of course I'm going to do my best, and everybody's going to do their best."
The Capitals lost a 3-2 lead to the Bruins in the opening round, going to a Game 7 in Boston against the defending champions. It was another tight game, as the previous six had been, and Joel Ward won it in overtime for the improbable series win.
Hunter's team, which blocked another 24 shots in Game 6 against the Rangers, certainly will keep it close Saturday. The Capitals have not trailed the Rangers in the third period of any game since the first one, so their commitment to defense is as strong as the Rangers' is.
"I think we understand now that preventing a chance against is more important than trying to create a chance for," Brooks Laich told reporters at the Capitals' practice facility in Arlington, Va., Thursday. "It's a game of mistakes, and if we can be solid defensively and not give them anything, sooner or later, the other team might break down and give us a chance, and then we have opportunistic scorers. That's a different mentality than we had here before."
It's gotten them to another Game 7 in front of a hostile crowd. Anyone expecting the Capitals to wilt hasn't seen them play much this postseason.
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