Opinion

For the Capitals, the Real Show Is About to Begin: Game 7

Be the Game 7 hero, Kuzy (Caps Outsider)

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

The defending Stanley Cup champions, who beat the fourth place Carolina Hurricanes in each of their four matchups this regular season, plus the first two playoffs games, have dropped three of the past four, and are heading to Game 7 on Wednesday at Capital One Arena.

After Monday’s what-the-f#$% 5-2 loss, which was a ref’s I-hate-goals whistle away from being a 3-3 tie, the Caps couldn’t battle back and the Hurricanes lived another day.

In the meantime, Caps fans wonder: Why can’t the Caps just put teams away, especially in the early rounds? How come each round seems to always be a nail-biting, spine-tingling, decided-by-inches, puck-luck-needing coin flip? If there was any team in the past five rounds the Caps were supposed to sweep, it was a team they’ve already figured out.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets and Islanders curb-stomped the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins and are twiddling their thumbs waiting on the other series to end.

Maybe the extra drama and cutting it close is a good thing, like back when WWE was good. Remember how boring those Presidents’ Trophy-winning regular seasons were?

The Caps are now back to playing in another playoff Game 7, where, prior to last season’s Stanley Cup win, was a game a Russian Roulette with three bullets, no matter who they faced.

Hats off to Carolina for its perseverance but there’s no good reason for the Caps to lose this series. The only thing left for Caps fans is positivity. We’re still on serve and the Caps need its fans to blow the roof off Capital One Arena.

Go Caps.

Ben Sumner

Ben Sumner is the editor of Capitals Outsider. He also works for The Washington Post and contributes there when he gets a scoop.

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