Last night, I drove home from a sports bar in Clarendon, feeling a mixture of confusion and disappointment (“How could that power play have been so awful?”). When an obnoxious song began playing, I turned my dial to another radio station, and Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 classic “I Will Survive” came on. I rolled down my windows and cruised down Wilson Boulevard, singing along and offering a smile and thumbs up to the many Caps fans I passed. How could I be happy after that horrible loss, you may ask? Well, I found the Caps’ post-season play to be revelatory, and I think they finally found their identity: a great attack balanced with fearless defense and fantastic goaltending. You guys came within a single goal of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, and for that, 2011-2012 Washington Capitals, I thank you.
