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No offense to the current edition of the Washington Capitals, but when it comes to the postseason, the “Rock the Red” era Caps haven’t accomplished anything yet.

Conversely, even though Adam Oates is a first-time coach who has yet to guide a team through a full 82-game season, his system is a proven winner — having helped the New Jersey Devils advance to the Stanley Cup Finals one year ago.

So while Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green are all playoff veterans by this point of their respective careers, things feel different this time around. Under Bruce Boudreau, the Capitals couldn’t be bothered to play defense. During Dale Hunter’s time in charge, Washington could barely generate offense.

Now though, it appears all is right in the universe — as the Capitals play a defensively responsible brand of hockey that directly leads to scoring chances.

Case in point: with the game tied at 1-1 halfway through the contest, defenseman Steve Oleksy gained control of the puck at his own blue line. At the exact moment he lifted his head, forward Marcus Johansson took off for the Rangers’ net.

Oleksy, playing in his first postseason game with the Caps, lofted the puck over all of the the congestion in the neutral zone and dropped it right on the tape on Johansson’s stick. With one quick deke, the speedy Swede was all alone against New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist and buried the puck in the back of the net.

That game-changing goal is what Oates’ system is all about. The Capitals were in position to fend off a New York’s initial attack and before the Rangers even had a chance to try and recover, they were digging the puck out of their own net.

With apologies to Ovechkin’s powerplay goal or Jason Chimera’s insurance tally less than a minute later, Johansson’s breakaway was the defining play of Washington’s 3-1 victory over the Rangers in Game 1.

It also beautifully illustrates why local hockey fans should be encouraged about the future of this franchise.

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I’m not going to lie — this is quite possibly my favorite time of the year.

Sure, the Washington Capitals have built a reputation as regular season champs who flame out of the postseason in horrific fashion. I get that.

I fully understand that there are a certain number of D.C. sports fans out there who believe it’s only a matter of time before the Caps find a creative new way to break our hearts. And I don’t blame them for entering the postseason with their guard up.

But I can’t help it. Ever since I was a little kid, there was something mesmerizing about the NHL playoffs.

There’s the Stanley Cup, which is way cooler than any other sports trophy. There’s the fact that any postseason game can end up requiring multiple overtimes, which, considering Washington’s history, should be viewed as a negative. And yet, speaking from personal experience as someone who attended the Caps-Pens four overtime game in 1995-96, is absolutely riveting.

And best of all — playoff beards. Seriously, hockey playoffs are the best and it isn’t even close.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXkGJtY4A4E

During my post on the 10 reasons why Adam Oates was the perfect hire for the Washington Capitals, I made a reference to the Hall of Famer’s demeanor — specifically in contrast to former Caps coach Bruce Boudreau.

For those who missed it, here’s what I said:

How many times did cameras capture former Caps coach Bruce Boudreau looking as if he was on the verge of an aneurysm? While Gabby was beloved in this town for wearing his heart on his sleeve on a nightly basis, the message eventually wore thin because standing on the bench and blowing a gasket can only work so often. And sure, it was highly amusing watching Boudreau’s obscenity-laced locker room tirades on HBO, but those types of things are a lot less enjoyable when you’re on the receiving end of one of them.

I spent seven and a half years in the U.S. Army and had no problem with a drill sergeant putting me in check, if need be. But not everyone responds to that type of “motivation.”

Well, since the Capitals don’t drop the puck against the New York Rangers until Thursday night, I figured I’d help pass the time by digging up a clip of that highly-amusing locker room tirade.

So, as long as you’re not someone who is easily offended by adult language, then please feel free to take a stroll down memory lane with Boudreau and then we can all cross our fingers and hope that the Caps players can get their ass out of their head.

(photo by Brian Murphy)

Don’t look now, but the Washington Capitals are officially the NHL’s hottest team.

1. Adam Oates is like a good parent.

One of the best pieces of advice I received when I was about to become a first-time parent was to think back to when I was a child and replicate the things my parents did well and improve upon the areas that they weren’t so great in. It’s simple, but it’s been highly effective as I’ve tried to get the hang of this fatherhood thing without causing permanent damage to my son.

During Oates’ first season as a coach, he’s taken the same approach – thinking back to the best coaches he had the privilege of playing for during his career and mimicking what made them excel.

I’ll let this article, written by Katie Carrera of the Washington Post, explain:

Oates said his experience in 2002-03 playing for Anaheim under Mike Babcock, who is now the coach of the Detroit Red Wings, has helped shape his approach. Oates was 40, in the penultimate season of his 19-year playing career and didn’t get off to a great start.

Babcock, in his first year as a head coach, treated Oates with respect, even when he wasn’t happy with the center’s game. That left a lasting impression.

2. Adam Oates can relate to his players.

While he might be a first-time coach, Oates has instant credibility with his locker room because he’s “been there and done that.” For nearly two decades, he was one of the NHL’s elite players and that commands a certain level of respect.

And let’s not forget — when he holds a meeting with his players, Oates is the only Hall of Famer in the room. He’s achieved something that each and every one of them dreamed of when they were growing up and if there’s even a remote possibility that listening to him can help them get one step closer to that ultimate goal, then they’d be foolish not to use him to their advantage.

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(courtesy photo)

Ladies and gentlemen, back by popular demand, it’s time for another round of “caption this.”

The game is fairly simple, as you hopefully know by now. I supply the photo and you bring the witty reader-submitted captions. You might not win any cool prizes, but you’ll be formally recognized for being better than your peers and will get some love here on the blog.

Here’s my humble offering for this photo to help get folks started:

Sadly, the “Ginger Snaps” Acapella group never really caught on in Dallas. Apparently, they just didn’t have enough soul.

Think you can do better? Leave a comment below with your best caption.

[Editor’s note: The winner is Luke with a caption of, “‘Do the carpets match the drapes?’ asked no one ever.” Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun.]

The Washington Capitals once again find themselves in familiar territory — as Southeast Division champs for the fifth time in six seasons — after a thrilling 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at the Verizon Center Tuesday night.

While consistently finishing atop one of the worst divisions in all of sports isn’t necessarily breaking news, it’s how they got there this time around though that makes it so special.

Let’s not sugarcoat this — the Washington Capitals were a train wreck for a good chunk of the 2013 season. Their horrid 2-8-1 start made more than a few people openly wonder if first-time coach Adam Oates was the right man for the job, but not everyone remembers the Caps struggles lasted far longer than that.

Case in point: when the Capitals lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on March 19, they dropped to 12-16-1 and had just a 5.97% chance of making the playoffs.

As Washington took to the ice two days later against Winnipeg, they were in 14th place in the Eastern Conference — seven points out of a playoff spot and nine points behind the Southeast Division leader.

One month later, they’ve improved to 26-18-2 and have officially locked up the 3rd seed.

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(photo by Brian Murphy)

When you set the bar low, it’s much easier to step over it.

That’s all I can think as the Washington Capitals head into their final five games of the 2013 season.

Now, for those D.C. sports fans who aren’t familiar with my body of work, I’m someone who considers myself a pessimist by nature. I’m the type of person who tends to expect the worst at all possible times, which enables me to be pleasantly surprised if/when things end up better than I anticipated.

That’s why I’m absolutely convinced this season will only end in utter heartbreak and disappointment for the Washington Nationals, who have been picked by anyone and everyone to win the World Series this season.

Until last season, the Nats had never even posted a winning record since coming to town and now, all of the sudden, they’re expected to be the best team in baseball simply because the roster looks pretty robust on paper.

Never mind the fact that this franchise has never had to face any sort of expectations before. Or that the vast majority of the players in that locker room haven’t had to take the field 162 times in a year with a huge bull’s-eye on their back. Or that one unfortunate injury to a cornerstone player like Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper could be enough to completely ruin an otherwise promising campaign.

The Nationals must now win because they’re the trendy pick by the so-called experts.

Now, if this season ends in anything other than a victory parade in our nation’s capital, then Davey Johnson’s final season with the Nats will be remembered as a letdown. And that blows.

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