The Hockey Stop

The Detroit Red Wings, who just forced Game 7 after being down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks, might not win the series. But if they do and make history, I wouldn't be surprised. There is a reason the Wings are the model NHL franchise.

They have fought their way back into this series by simply outworking the Sharks in the third period of the past two games after being down two goals in Game 5 and one goal in Game 6. There are not enough adjectives to describe Detroit, but a few choice words come to mind: Resilient, hard working, mentally tough, never say die, team first, disciplined, consistent, character, heart.

And this team defies the stereotype of European players as not caring or not being able to raise their game when it counts in the playoffs. It just goes to show that if you play in a system like Detroit's and for a coach like Mike Babcock, then the country of origin or name on the back of the jersey means absolutely nothing. Sweden, Russia, United States, Canada. It doesn't matter if everyone buys in.

The current roster continues the amazing legacy of 11 Stanley Cups and 20 consecutive playoff appearances. These players perform their best when it counts. They are the envy of every other team in the NHL. Todd Bertuzzi, Danny Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper, Justin Abdelkader, Patrick Eaves, Valtteri Filppula, Johan Franzen, Darren Helm, Tomas Holmstrom, Jiri Hudler, Drew Miller, Mike Modano, Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Ericsson, Jakub Kindl, Niklas Kronwall, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Ruslan Salei, Brad Stuart, Jimmy Howard, Joey Macdonald and Chris Osgood. That is the entire roster. A United Nations of teammates who have all bought in and play as one unit. That is how championships are won.

Like I said, the Wings might lose Game 7, but by fighting back in this series they have proven once again what every other NHL team has known since the Detroit hockey franchise was founded in 1926: The Wings won't go away.

As I write this the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals were just swept by the No. 5 seed Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Something must drastically change in this organization for this team to stop underachieving when it matters most -- in the playoffs.

There was a lot of optimism in Washington when owner Ted Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee decided to blow up the team and rebuild through the draft. The team lucked out by drafting Alex Ovechkin -- a sensational player they could build their team around. They added young, dynamic players like Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green into the mix, creating an offensive powerhouse --- in the regular season that is.

The problem is that the core of the team they built is geared toward offense, which unfortunately doesn't work in the playoffs. So the decision was made in the middle of this season to change the system to a defense-first style. McPhee added some veteran depth in the likes of Scott Hannan, Dennis Wideman, Marco Sturm, and of course Stanley Cup winner Jason Arnott.

It wasn't enough.

It has been three straight years of epic playoff collapses (not including the Game 7 loss to the Flyers four years ago).

• A 6-2 Game 7 blowout loss at home against the Penguins two years ago in round two.

• An historic Game 7 loss to No. 8 seeded Montreal after having a 3-1 series lead last year in round one. The Caps became the first No. 1 seed in NHL history to blow a 3-1 series lead to a No. 8 seed.

• And now getting outsmarted, outplayed and outclassed by the Lightning in a four-game sweep in round two. The Caps became the first No. 1 seed in NHL history to be swept before making it to the Conference Finals.

Now it is time for some serious introspection from top to bottom in the organization. The first, and perhaps most important, step is to fire head coach Bruce Boudreau. While I thank him for his service in Washington, having propelled the last-place Caps to an historic late season march to the playoffs four years ago after taking over for Glen Hanlon, the bottom line is that he is not the leader to take the Caps to the Promised Land. During his playing and coaching career he was known as an offense-first type guy, which like the Caps players themselves, is suited perfectly for coasting through the regular season.

But at playoffs time it doesn't work.

Plus his off-the-ice theatrics, with all the car and carpet commercials, and his laughable coaching techniques, which were on full display on HBO's "24/7" series, were reasons I believe he lost the locker room a long time ago and thus the Caps lacked the mental strength, focus and discipline to play a full 60 minutes every game.

So Gabby has to go and a no-nonsense, disciplined coach who displays quiet but effective leadership -- sort of like Tampa coach Guy Boucher -- is who should replace him.

If McPhee doesn't have the guts to fire Boudreau, then Leonsis must fire McPhee.

Then the really tough decisions need to be made. The "Young Guns" -- Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin and Green must be split up. That means trading one of them. I don't know who but one of them must go. And it won't be Ovechkin, although he should be stripped of his captaincy and the C should be worn on Arnott's sweater. It is evident any chemistry the "Young Guns" have developed over the years has not translated into playoff success. So a change is in order.

Next, do everything possible to draft, trade for and pick up in free agency more tough, gritty defensive-type players in the forward and blue line positions. The Caps need more workhorses if they are going to get to the Promised Land. More Matt Hendricks-type guys and less Alex Semin-type guys.

Also, while Michal Neuvirth played great and can't be faulted, and Braden Holtby will be our goalie of the future, the Caps must pick up a proven veteran to mind the net -- much like the Lightning did in picking up 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson. Youth is not the answer in goal for making a long playoff run. A Stanley Cup-winning goalie who has been through the battles is preferable as a calming presence in the grind of a long playoff series.

Finally, the Caps need a new marketing strategy. Tone down the whole "Rock the Red" and "Unleash the Fury" themes and tone down hyping up all the "Young Guns" to fans. That strategy doesn't work anymore after four straight years of early playoff exits. I don't know what the new marketing scheme will be, but I'm sure Leonsis and his brain trust will think of something.

These are just the humble thoughts of one disappointed Caps fan. I don't know if these are the right answers, but one thing I am absolutely sure of -- Change must come to Washington!

The Hockey Gods are cruel. What other explanation do I have for the fact that the Washington Capitals are down 3-0 to a Tampa Bay Lightning team that is hot, yes, but not that much better than the Caps. A bad bounce off Scott Hannan in Game 1. A bad bounce off Mike Green in Game 2. Too many men on the ice for a power-play goal in the first period of Game 3. Nothing is going right for the Caps and everything is going right for the red-hot Lightning.

Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Guy Boucher look like geniuses while Caps GM George McPhee and head coach Bruce Boudreau look like they have been outsmarted and outplayed. Alex Ovechkin has been amazing and cannot be faulted. But the rest of his teammates simply haven't been good enough. And Tampa Bay stars Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos have just been better. And Dwayne Roloson has just been slightly better in net than Michal Neuvirth.

Now the Caps are on the brink of another devastating playoff loss. I'm at a loss for words. I won't say Boudreau should be fired. I won't question the character and heart of the players on the ice. Not yet at least. All I can say is the NHL has amazing parity and the playoffs are a crap shoot no matter how good you are. Are the Hockey Gods against us? Are the Caps cursed? I won't try to answer that. All I know is that what was one of the most promising seasons in Caps history could end tomorrow night with a thud in Tampa. And that hurts. It is another dagger in the hearts of long-suffering Caps fans.

Tampa has won the Stanley Cup. The Caps have never won the Cup. We have a great future ahead of us. But four years of playoff futility is hard to take. This is to owner Ted Leonsis: I feel your pain. And I understand if Bruce Boudreau is fired after another mind-boggling playoff disappointment.

This is what I wrote last year after the then run-and-gun Washington Capitals became the first No. 1 seed in NHL history to blow a 3-1 series lead and lose to a No. 8 seed, the Montreal Canadiens, in the first round:

"What do I hope the high-flying Caps learn from this Game 7 loss, and last year's Game 7 loss to Pittsburgh, and the year before when they lost in Game 7 to the Flyers?

DEFENSE WINS STANLEY CUPS."

Lesson learned. On Saturday afternoon the road to redemption took a big step in the right direction as the Caps dispatched the New York Rangers in five games. It took three years of painful playoff exits and a 7-0 regular season thrashing by the very same Rangers this year to get the Caps to make the necessary changes to become a playoff team.

They changed their entire system from offense first to a tight-checking defensive style suited for the grind-it-out playoffs. They added a shutdown defenseman in Scott Hannan, a veteran Stanley Cup-winning second line center in Jason Arnott and two more battle-hardened veterans in Marco Sturm and Dennis Wideman. They also went with a young goaltender named Michal Neuvirth who has won two Calder Cup trophies with the minor league Hershey Bears and is cool as a cucumber between the pipes.

But despite all those necessary changes, the biggest question mark going into Saturday's game was whether the Caps could close out a series in five games. Well, by beating the Rangers 3-1 to end the series, the Caps not only threw that big monkey (more like a gorilla) off their backs but sent it into space.

This team found their inner killer instinct and is a dangerous team going forward. For the first time as a Caps fan, WE are the dangerous team no one wants to play. Change has come to Washington. Onward.

Other Notes:

• Congratulations to the Nashville Predators for winning their first playoff series in franchise history by beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-2.

• Could it be the curse of the President's Cup? The Vancouver Canucks are on the brink of making the wrong kind of history as the Chicago Blackhawks forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 to the Sedin twins and their mates. The biggest question mark going into Game 7 is between the pipes for Vancouver. Cory Schneider was injured on the tying penalty shot in Game 6 and Roberto Luongo has been very shaky in this series, including flailing around and giving up a bad rebound goal by Ben Smith in overtime last night. It should be a great game on Tuesday.

• What an exciting Round One! The Sharks came back from 4-0 down in Game 3 to shock the Kings and the Caps came back from 3-0 down at MSG in Game 4 to stun the Rangers. And all the overtimes have been great for fans. It is safe to say in these playoffs that no lead is safe and that the games will be most likely settled in the extra session.

The National Hockey League's second season is about to begin and while many of the match-ups are repeats of previous playoff battles, there are some intriguing stories heading into the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs that will drop the puck this Wednesday night at 7:30 on Versus with the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals versus the No. 8 seed New York Rangers.

• For the first time all three California teams made the playoffs at the same time. That means there will be more teams competing in the postseason from the Golden State then the entire country of Canada. The No. 4 seed Anaheim Ducks will take on the No. 5 seed Nashville Predators, while cross-state rivals the No. 2 seed San Jose Sharks will face off against the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Kings.

• The No. 4 seed Pittsburgh Penguins and the No. 5 seed Tampa Bay Lightning will see each other in the playoffs for the first time. In an interesting turn of events for the Pens, the biggest stars won't be on their side because of injuries to Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Instead, they will have to hold off the Lightning's Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.

• Caps fans are anxious to see if their team's major mid-season adjustment from a high flying, offense first style to a more defensive, playoff-style structure will pay dividends after three straight painful years of Game 7 exits, including last year's heartbreaking first-round loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Ironically, the system change was instituted after a 7-0 thrashing by the Rangers at MSG that was caught by the HBO cameras for the reality series "24/7."

• Another big question mark is whether the Presidents Trophy winners, the No. 1 seed Vancouver Canucks, can translate their regular-season success to a Stanley Cup victory. Their first big test will be the defending champion No. 8 seed Chicago Blackhawks, who needed the Dallas Stars to lose their finale in order for them to sneak into the playoffs only a year removed from hoisting the Cup.

Here is the full schedule courtesy of NHL.com.

2011 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

SERIES A

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers

Wednesday, April 13 at Washington, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS (JIP)

Friday, April 15 at Washington, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Sunday, April 17 at New York, 3:00 p.m. NBC (HD), TSN

Wednesday, April 20 at New York, 7:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

*Saturday, April 23 at Washington, 3:00 p.m. TSN, NBC (HD)

*Monday, April 25 at New York, TBD TSN

*Wednesday, April 27 at Washington, TBD TSN

SERIES B

#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres

Thursday, April 14 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS-JIP

Saturday, April 16 at Philadelphia, 5:00 p.m. TSN

Monday, April 18 at Buffalo, 7:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Wednesday, April 20 at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

*Friday, April 22 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS (JIP)

*Sunday, April 24 at Buffalo, 3:00 p.m. NBC (HD), TSN

*Tuesday, April 26 at Philadelphia, TBD TSN

SERIES C

#3 Boston Bruins vs. #6 Montreal Canadiens

Thursday, April 14 at Boston, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

Saturday, April 16 at Boston, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

Monday, April 18 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS

Thursday, April 21 at Montreal, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

*Saturday, April 23 at Boston, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), RDS, VERSUS

*Tuesday, April 26 at Montreal, TBD CBC (HD), RDS

*Wednesday, April 27 at Boston, TBD CBC (HD), RDS

SERIES D

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Wednesday, April 13 at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD)

Friday, April 15 at Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD)

Monday, April 18 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS (JIP)

Wednesday, April 20 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. CBC (HD)

*Saturday, April 23 at Pittsburgh, TBD CBC (HD), VERSUS (JIP)

*Monday, April 25 at Tampa Bay, TBD CBC (HD)

*Wednesday, April 27 at Pittsburgh, TBD CBC (HD)

2011 WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

SERIES E

#1 Vancouver Canucks vs. #8 Chicago Blackhawks

Wednesday, April 13 at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Friday, April 15 at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Sunday, April 17 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Tuesday, April 19 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Thursday, April 21 at Vancouver, 10:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Sunday, April 24 at Chicago, 8:00 p.m. CBC (HD)

*Tuesday, April 26 at Vancouver, TBD CBC (HD)

SERIES F

#2 San Jose Sharks vs. #7 Los Angeles Kings

Thursday, April 14 at San Jose, 10:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Saturday, April 16 at San Jose, 10:00 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Tuesday, April 19 at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

Thursday, April 21 at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. TSN

*Saturday, April 23 at San Jose, 10:30 p.m. TSN, VERSUS

*Monday, April 25 at Los Angeles, TBD TSN

*Wednesday, April 27 at San Jose, TBD TSN

SERIES G

#3 Detroit Red Wings vs. #6 Phoenix Coyotes

Wednesday, April 13 at Detroit, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Saturday, April 16 at Detroit, 1:00 p.m. NBC (HD), CBC (HD)

Monday, April 18 at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

Wednesday, April 20 at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Friday, April 22 at Detroit, 7:00 p.m. CBC (HD), VERSUS

*Sunday, April 24 at Phoenix, TBD CBC (HD)

*Wednesday, April 27 at Detroit, TBD CBC (HD)

SERIES H

#4 Anaheim Ducks vs. #5 Nashville Predators

Wednesday, April 13 at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. TSN

Friday, April 15 at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. TSN

Sunday, April 17 at Nashville, TBD TSN

Wednesday, April 20 at Nashville, TBD TSN

*Friday, April 22 at Anaheim, 10:00 p.m. TSN

*Sunday, April 24 at Nashville, TBD TSN

*Tuesday, April 26 at Anaheim, TBD TSN



- * denotes if necessary

- All Times are Eastern Standard Time

Forget football. Spring is the best season for sports fans. We just wrapped up the most exciting March Madness in recent memory (thanks VCU and Butler) and now we have the NHL and NBA playoffs to look forward to. Plus, MLB baseball and MLS soccer have started up.

So, while the NFL heads to court tomorrow, there are so many reminders of how blessed we are as Americans to be able to enjoy so many other professional sports that aren't currently going through a labor dispute. Here in Washington, the city is buzzing about the Capitals' chance at playoff redemption. In Baltimore they are going batty over the undefeated Orioles. In Denver they love their defending MLS champion Colorado Rapids. And in Los Angeles they are dreaming of another NBA championship for their Lakers.

The trees are blooming. The weather is warmer. The grass is greener. And we have hockey, basketball, baseball and soccer all at the same time. Sorry, football, but we are moving on.

No. 1 seed Washington Capitals. Done. No. 2 seed New Jersey Devils. See ya. No. 3 seed Buffalo Sabres. Eliminated. No. 4 seed Pittsburgh Penguins. It's tee time. No. 5 seed Ottawa Senators. Have a nice summer. No. 6 seed Boston Bruins. Bye bye.

Improbably the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens will be flying to Philadelphia to take on the seventh-seeded Flyers at Wachovia Center for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Wow.

Unlike the Western Conference, where the two top seeds -- the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks -- will be battling it out for a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, two Cinderella teams will dance on the East Coast.

Tonight the Flyers came back from a 3-0 series deficit and 3-0 goal deficit in Game 7 in Boston to become only the third team in NHL history to climb back from three games down to win a series.

Simon Gagne scored on a power play with 7:08 left in the third period to propel the Flyers into the history books.

And what makes this win even more remarkable is the fact that Philadelphia needed an overtime shootout victory over the New York Rangers in the final game of the regular season just to make the playoffs.

And on top of that the Flyers are riddled with injuries, including losing top goalie Ray Emery earlier in the season and then losing backup Brian Boucher in the Bruins series. So they had to go with untested netminder Michael Leighton, who played solid in relief against the woeful offense of Boston.

And I also heard there was an NBA playoffs going on too, but I've been too busy watching the most exciting NHL playoffs in years to pay any attention.

Félicitations! Congratulations to the Montreal Canadiens! As this legendary franchise revives the Montreal Magic on its 100th anniversary by defeating the Washington Capitals in the first round and Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round -- both in Game 7 -- the question must be asked: How did this team sneak into the playoffs as an eighth seed?

Montreal's mediocre regular season left nearly every sane person on the planet believing that the No. 1 seed Caps would destroy the Habs in four games in the first round. It must have been one of the biggest spreads in the history of Vegas odds makers.

But the Canadiens and their Super Slovakian goaltending wonder Jaroslav Halak and heavy hitter Hal Gill frustrated and confounded Alex Ovechkin and his band of scoring machine gunners to claim the series and become the first eighth seed to come back from a 3-1 deficit to beat a No. 1 seed.

So they upset the Caps and moved on to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. So every sane person on the planet said, OK, so they beat the Caps, but Washington was horrendous on the power play, relies too much on its offense and there is no way Halak can stand on his head for another series, especially against the playoff-built Pens.

So when Pittsburgh scored four times on the power play in four tries in Game 1 and brought Halak down to earth, it seemed to vindicate all those pundits and critics who blamed the Caps' "system" for the epic fail.

And so Sports Illustrated in their latest issue decided that Sidney Crosby is the better player than Ovechkin, after all he has a Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal. Of course everyone conveniently forgets that team Canada and team Pittsburgh won those championships. Ovechkin has collected tons more individual awards than Crosby has. So I ask you -- to all those Pens fans who jumped on Ovechkin after the Caps lost to Montreal, where was Crosby tonight besides watching Montreal score from the penalty box? I hear crickets chirping. Only silence.

Sorry but Sid the Kid could not save the Pens from Les Habs. Not tonight in Game 7. So let history be the final judge. When their careers are finished, let's see who has more individual and team triumphs and I'll bet it will be Ovechkin.

But again, congratulations to the Montreal Canadiens on their unbelievable run in these Stanley Cup playoffs.

Vive les Canadiens de Montreal!

Down 2-0 in their second-round series against the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers could use some inspiration heading home for a pivotal Game 3 at the Wachovia Center.

My suggestion is to hold off on the "Rocky" movies and instead change the channel to HBO on Tuesday night at 10 p.m. for the documentary "Broad Street Bullies." The film looks back at the rough-and-tumble Flyer team from the 1970s who fought and scored their way to the only two Stanley Cups in franchise history.

Here is the trailer:

In no other sport is there as much of a difference between the regular season and the playoffs than hockey. And in no other sport is there as much parity in the playoffs as in the NHL.

Just ask the New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres and the best team in the regular season -- the Washington Capitals. They will all be sitting at home watching the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens battle in the Eastern Conference second round.

But put aside the Devils and Sabres, I'm going to focus on the one area the Caps are sorely lacking in, and it wasn't the atrocious one-for-30-something power play. The biggest lesson of all? DEFENSE wins championships, not offense.

Offense gets a team 121 points, a 50-goal scorer and a Presidents Trophy in the regular season ... and a first-round ticket to the golf course.

This is perhaps the hardest lesson to learn in all of sports, because defensive, er, deficiencies can be easily masked in the loosey-goosey regular season when it is easy to simply outscore other teams night after night if you have Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Fleishmann and Green on your side.

But oh how the playoffs are a different story. Things tighten up more than the Republicans in Congress, and every little mental or physical error is magnified a hundred times.

For example, Mike Green is a Norris Trophy candidate and has been compared to Paul Coffey as the one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. But Green was left off Team Canada because of his penchant to turn the puck over or take a stupid penalty at just the wrong time. Of course his lack of defensive skill and smartness is forgotten quickly in the regular season. But when he takes a cross-checking penalty in the offensive zone near the end of a first period in a Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs and Montreal scores to make it 1-0, well then Green is really exposed.

And Ovechkin was bottled up the whole series by Hal Gill. He did an amazing job of containing Alex the Great during the series. And let's get this straight, I love Ovechkin but he is no Sidney Crosby. I was at the Caps-Habs Game 2 and I heard a Caps fan behind me chanting "Crosby Sucks!" What? What planet are you on buddy? Crosby sucks? Is this the same Crosby who scored the game-winning goal for Team Canada to win the Gold Medal in Vancouver? Or maybe it is the same Crosby who took the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals two years in a row and won the Stanley Cup last year? Is it that Crosby? And what has Ovechkin accomplished team-wise? Nothing. Until he does, it is painful for me to say, but Crosby is King and Ovechkin is an Imposter.

And what is the biggest part of defense in the playoffs? Goaltending of course. And Habs goalie Jaroslav Halak was nothing short of brilliant and deserves the comparisons to Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden. The Caps goalie Semyon Varlamov was great too, but Halak was better and that was the difference.

So what do I hope the high-flying Caps learn from this Game 7 loss, and last year's Game 7 loss to Pittsburgh, and the year before when they lost in Game 7 to the Flyers?

DEFENSE WINS STANLEY CUPS.

Despite being eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight by a more experienced Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings have a lot to be proud of this season and much to look forward to in the years ahead.

After a nine-year playoff drought, this young, talented group will be battling deep into the playoffs for many years to come, thanks to a smart rebuilding effort reminiscent of the building blocks a few other teams started putting in place a few years ago that are now paying dividends, namely the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

All three of these teams tasted the bitterness of early playoff exits before gaining the experience and supporting cast to make runs deep into the postseason. Pittsburgh already won a Stanley Cup last year and the 'Hawks and Caps hope this is their year to do the same.

So keep your heads up, Kings fans, although I know it is tough right now with the pain of losing to a team you very well could have defeated. But it wasn't your year. It's too early for that. The Caps learned a hell of a lot from the sting of losing in Game 7 two years ago to the Flyers in the first round and in Game 7 last year to the Penguins in the second round.

Now Washington knows how to handle these situations and hopefully come out on top this time.

And Los Angeles will know too. That's because Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, Alexander Frolov, Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Michal Handzus, Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson, Matt Greene and the other Kings on this all-star roster got their first taste of the playoffs and once you get your first taste of the NHL postseason you live to return and eventually hoist the greatest hardware in professional sports -- the Stanley Cup.

At least one of my first-round predictions is already wrong: The Washington Capitals will not sweep the Montreal Canadiens. Les Habs beat the Caps 3-2 in overtime, stunning the sellout crowd at the Verizon Center in downtown D.C.

I was one of those stunned fans wearing my Caps red in the stands. And after exiting the arena with 18,000 other shell-shocked fans and mulling over this disappointing loss, I realized that we had plenty of company as favorites Pittsburgh, New Jersey, San Jose and Detroit all lost game one at home (except for the Red Wings who lost at Phoenix).

Welcome to the playoffs where any team can beat any other team on any night. Throw home ice "advantage" out because the truth is that there are no favorites in the NHL postseason.

Regular-season domination means nothing. The seedings are completely arbitrary. A hot goaltender can win a series and a cold netminder can lose one. A team that struggled in the regular season and just barely sneaked in, can suddenly become hot in the playoffs.

I don't fully understand it but on paper the Sharks, Devils, Penguins and Capitals should have rolled over their supposedly inferior opponents.

And they all just might win the next four games. Or not. But the playoffs are a marathon not a sprint and adjustments will be made in Game 2.

But what a start to the playoffs. And the Blackhawks-Predators series hasn't even started! Game 2 is going to be a must-win for Washington, San Jose, New Jersey and Pittsburgh as they don't want to go to Montreal, Denver, Philadelphia and Ottawa down 2-0.

Lots of great hockey action ahead. I'm going to throw all my predictions out the window and just enjoy the ride.

Pre-game scene video and pictures from in and around the Verizon Center:

The National Hockey League regular season wrapped today with a thrilling overtime shootout in Philadelphia to catapult the Flyers into the playoffs and send the Rangers home to New York.

Here are the first-round match-ups. For the full schedule with dates, times and TV coverage, click here.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

#2 New Jersey Devils vs. #7 Philadelphia Flyers

#3 Buffalo Sabres vs. #6 Boston Bruins

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Ottawa Senators

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Colorado Avalanche

#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #7 Nashville Predators

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 Los Angeles Kings

#4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings

Also, some awards were decided on the final day of action.

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Tampa Bay's Steve Stamkos will share the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy because both players finished with 51 goals.

Vancouver's Henrik Sedin nabbed the Art Ross Trophy for scoring with 112 points (29 goals, 83 assists).

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur and backup Yann Danis won the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed, with 191.

Some initial thoughts on the first-round match-ups (and guess what, it all comes down to the men between the pipes):

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Caps-Canadiens

Washington is quickly putting its record-breaking regular season behind it (first non-Original Six team to reach 120 points) and focusing on Les Habs, a team it has never faced in the playoffs. Laval, Quebec native and former Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore should be pumped to play his old team and he is sure to hear it from the crowd, which should provide even extra motivation.

Prediction: Caps in 4

Devils-Flyers

Philadelphia is riding high after advancing to the playoffs in a last-game shootout against the Rangers. That won't last long. The Devils are a complete team. They already were one of the fiercest defensive teams in hockey, but with the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk they are now dangerous on offense. Flyers will sneak one win in but that is all.

Prediction: Devils in 5

Sabres-Bruins

A good match-up between two defensive-minded teams. But the edge goes to the Sabres because of Ryan Miller. If he shows the spark he had in the Olympics for Team USA, then Buffalo will be very hard to beat.

Prediction: Sabres in 6

Penguins-Senators

This is a very even match-up but the edge has to go to the Pens because of their experience winning the Cup last year and the Sidney Crosby factor. Also, Sens star Alexei Kovalev will miss the playoffs with a left knee injury. That said, Ottawa and head coach Cory Clouston should not be underestimated. They have weapons up front like Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson and the blue line is solid, especially with the addition of Andy Sutton.

Prediction: Sens in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Sharks-Avs

San Jose is a perennial playoff disappointment and that won't change this year. Despite another stellar regular season, Colorado could upset the Sharks. That is unless goalie Evgeni Nabakov plays up to his potential. If he does, the Sharks are pretty much unbeatable. But the Russian goalie has been known to put in mediocre performances just at the wrong time. Avs coach Joe Sacco has his group of young players believing.

Prediction: Avs in 7

Hawks-Preds

Next to the Capitals, Chicago has the most dynamic team in the NHL. With Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews leading the charge the Hawks are the best in the West. But there is still a question mark at goal. Can Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi take this team deep into the playoffs? Time will tell.

Prediction: Hawks in 5

Canucks-Kings

The City of Angels is excited the Kings are back in the playoffs after a long dry spell. And with a corps of young talented players like Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown there is a bright future ahead for the Los Angeles franchise. And they will give the Canucks everything they've got. But it won't be enough. Vancouver has more depth and experience and Team Canada gold medal winner Roberto Luongo and Art Ross winner Henrik Sedin.

Prediction: Canucks in 7

Coyotes-Wings

This is going to be a great series. Both teams are peaking just at the right time and have hot goaltenders. Phoenix has MVP candidate Ilya Bryzgalov and the Wings have rookie of the year candidate Jimmy Howard behind the net. With all the off-ice problems in Phoenix, it is amazing the Coyotes are in the playoffs. And Detroit had all kinds of on-ice problems earlier in the season. But with the kind of Cinderella season Phoenix is having, it has the edge.

Prediction: Coyotes in 6

Not excited about the playoffs yet?

The National Hockey League's new video spots airing on television and the internet should get the lamp lit for puckheads nationwide who aren't yet feeling the April Anarchy to come in two weeks.

Despite the Kings coming down to earth of late, the excitement is still building in the City of Angels for their expected return to the playoffs after years of mediocrity.

But I'll be flying from my adopted city of L.A. to my hometown of Washington, D.C. to see the Capitals compete in the first round.

I'll be at the Verizon Center rockin' the red for the first two games in mid-April so watch out for updates on The Hockey Stop as the NHL's top team begins the quest for its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Here are the videos to get you in the mood:

History Will Be Made -- Mark Messier



History Will Be Made -- Ray Bourque

Of course the game lived up to the hype. It seems every time these bitter rivals tangle that fans are treated to some fantastic hockey from both sides.

But my how the tables have turned. With their come-from-behind shootout victory over Pittsburgh tonight, my Washington Capitals have won all three games against the Penguins this season.

When I was growing up as a Caps fan in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, there were two constants every spring -- the Cherry Blossoms would bloom along the Tidal Basin and the Caps would lose to the Pens in the playoffs.

For so many years the Pens had our number and the number of fans from Western Pennsylvania filling up half of the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland was just plain embarrassing. Bus after bus would roll into the Capital Centre parking lot and unload thousands of black-clad fans with Lemieux or Jagr on the back of their jerseys. And more times than not they would celebrate another playoff series win over the Caps.

But change has come to Washington and I'm not talking about Obama. While Pittsburgh beat Washington in seven games last year to eventually win the Stanley Cup, the Caps have their best chance in a long time to finally silence all those obnoxious Penguin fans.

Owner Ted Leonsis and General Manager George McPhee have been nothing short of brilliant in building the pieces of this team to shape a Stanley Cup contender.

Now we have the answer to the hated Penguins. They have Crosby, Malkin and Staal. But we have Ovechkin, Semin and Backstrom. They have Fleury. But we have Theodore, who played tonight like the Hart and Vezina winning goalie that he is.

And instead of half of Pittsburgh busing down to D.C., the Verizon Center rocks the red every home game. The Caps have some of the most passionate fans in the NHL as is evident when every seat is taken and the VC becomes a sea of red.

The ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, but I hope the Caps get to face off against the Pens in the playoffs this year because after years of suffering at the hands of Pittsburgh, it's about time for some sweet, sweet revenge.

Highlights from tonight's game courtesy of NHL.com: