Swept

Capitals 3, Lightning 5 (Tampa wins 4-0)
Game Summary

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

And just like that the season ends for the Washington Capitals. It wasn't even a question whether the Caps could make a dramatic comeback. The Tampa Bay Lightning were just too good. The Caps showed signs of a comeback but again failed to score first. They would be swept in just four games by a score of 5-3.

Just like a broken record, game 4 was little to no different than the previous three. The Lightning got the early lead and although the Caps make an effort to tie up the game and play outside their comfort zone. Add a few break downs in special teams and an outstanding effort by the Lightning's role players, and the Caps make an unexpected quick exit from the playoffs.

Ryan Malone put the Bolts up early after Alex Ovechkin took a questionable charging call on a heavy hit. The Caps would answer with a power play goal of their own when Marco Sturm scored his first goal of the playoffs. They would survive the first period with the score tied 1-1. But Sean Bergenheim, the new Cap killer, scored a pair in the second period and the Lightning took their first two goal lead since netting an empty netter in game one.

Bruce Boudreau called a time out to settle his team down, and John Erskine scored his first goal of the playoffs on a sharp angle shot that fooled Dwayne Roloson. But early in the third period, Marc-Andre Bergeron scored on the power play to regain the two goal lead. Sturm took a goaltending interference penalty call, even though he never touched Roloson who embellished the non-contact. The Caps were unable to produce much in the way of offense after that as the Lightning shut down the neutral zone. Martin St. Louis put the icing on the cake scoring to make it 5-2.

AP

John Carlson scored late to make it 5-3, but the damage was done. What was left was the handshakes and quick exit for a top seeded team defeated in four games. The Lightning did it with some key role players scoring some big goals.

Michal Neuvirth played as well as can be expected. I don't think he played any better or worse than his counter part Roloson. While he was screened by his own man Carlson on the Bergeron goal, Neuvirth did come up with some big saves through out the series. He had a few big saves in game four as well, but it was the team in front of him that let him down.

The Caps now have more questions than answers. While it hasn't been the best season for them, they were able to gain top seed in the east only to be ousted by a division rival they had beaten 5 times in six regular season games. It is an off season that has come to soon for a team that has set the bar too high apparently. Now it's a decision to find players, personnel or both to make changes too.

Caps notes:

• Mike Green was a scratch in game four after sustaining an injury in game three. Sean Collins replaced him in his first NHL post season appearance. 
• The Lightning are on a roll, winning seven straight in these playoffs. But the Lightning have done this to the Capitals before. They won against the 2003 Capitals with Olie Kolzig in net and some loser named Jaromir Jagr four games to two. That would eight straight post season wins for Tampa against the Caps.
• This marks the fourth straight exit in the post season for the Washington Capitals. All three in differing fashions. An editor's note: The New York Islanders lost four consecutive times in the conference finals before they won four straight Stanley Cups. Silver lining. 

Capital Collapse

Capitals 3, Lightning 4 (Tampa leads 3-0)
Game Summary

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Washington Capitals looked at game three as a must win game to stay in the series. But their first power play goal did not help. Their first lead in the series did not help. A lead going into the third period once was chalked up as a win, but that did not help. Instead the Capitals have a mental brain cramp in the third period and the Bolts score :24 seconds apart to put the visiting team on the brink winning 4-3.

The Capitals do not seem to be playing the same inspiring style of playoff hockey that did away with the New York Rangers in five games. Perhaps their luck has run out. It is the little things they do not seem to be doing that is so important in post season play. They are losing battles along the boards, not passing crisply or quickly and failing to win battles along the boards and in front of the net. They are not going to the net, they are not grinding it out and they are making poor decisions with the puck.

If Michal Neuvirth is on any other team, he would be outstanding. The saves the Caps' goaltender made should have been inspiring even in the waning moments of the game when the Caps were trying to get the game back to even. I am sure he would like back a few shots, like Steven Stamkos shot form the high slot, he seemed to far back in his net. But for the most part, it was the team in front of him that let him down.

Again the Capitals were given some golden opportunities on the power play. While they scored on a 5 on 3 power play, they were zero for four on the rest of the night. Even taking away Mike Knuble's first period goal when a mental breakdown and six skaters were on the ice. It would have been the Capitals first period one goal and first goal in the game in this series.

The Capitals are lacking some secondary scoring. After a brilliant first game and nearly scoring several times in game one, Alex Semin has all but disappeared from the post season. Out side of a good shot or two, he has become the biggest non-factor for the Capitals. They also have not seen any consistent offense from  outside the top line.

Mike Knuble scored first for the Caps in the second period to tie the game up and one. They would take a 2-1 lead on John Carlson's heavy slap shot. It would be the Capitals first lead of the series. It would not last long as Vincent Lecavalier, a thorn in the side of the Caps this post season, tied it back up about five minutes later in the second.

But the Bolts got into some penalty trouble and the Caps score their first power play goal of the series on a 5 on 3 opportunity and go up 3-2.

AP

The third period doomed the Caps when Mike Green did not return. It shuffled up the defensive pairs and some miscommunication between Scott Hannan and John Erskine allowing an open shot for Stamkos in the slot that would beat Neuvirth. Then the Caps played poorly following the goal, not taking care of Ryan Malone in front of the Caps net and a centering pass bounced off him and into the net making the collapse of the Capitals in game three complete.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have not won anything yet, it is still a seven game series. The Caps will have to drum something up in less than 24 hours if they have any chance of coming back in this season. But the odds are against the Caps, and there are more questions than answers after would could be a season that would see the mighty Caps swept in four games.

Caps notes:

• Matt Hendricks was a healthy scratch for a second game in row. 
• Brooks Laich, Alex Semin and Marcus Johansson were a -2 in this game. They combined for one shot in game 3.
• In franchise history, the Capitals have never come back from being down 3-0 in a playoff series.

Lightning Strikes Twice

Capitals 2, Lightning 3 OT (Tampa leads 2-0)
Game Summary

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

The Washington Capitals just kissed their home ice advantage good bye. Again the Caps could not come up with the first goal and found them selves trailing or tied in this series thus far. Vincent Lecavalier would be the hero scoring the early first period goal on the power play then ending the game just over six minutes into overtime. The Caps are left scratching their heads and looking to find a way to win on the road down two games to none after this loss 3-2.

Devil Is In The Details

Often in the playoffs, even the minor plays make quite the difference. That was ever more prevalent in game one between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Caps lost game one due to the little things the Lightning were able to accomplish. A lesson Tampa learned and carried over with them from the seven game win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Rocking The Rust

Capitals 2, Lightning 4 (Tampa leads series 1-0)
Game Summary

AP

Bruce Boudreau alluded to what the press would decide on the result of game one. If the Caps won they would be rested, if they lost it would be considered rust. The later would be true. The Tampa Bay Lightning fresh off their series win over the Pittsburgh Penguins would put the Caps behind in the series by a game winning 4-2.

Southeast Showdown

#1 Washington Capitals (4-1)

vs. 

#5 Tampa Bay Lightning (4-3)

Round two is set. The Tampa Bay Lightning will take on the Washington Capitals. The Lightning were down three games to one to the depleted Pittsburgh Penguins to win in game seven 1-0. What has been surprising about the Bolts win is they did it with their defense, a soft spot during the regular season. And having Dwayne Roloson in net didn't hurt either who has won 7 straight elimination games.