When I read very articulate stories like this one – click here – my head hurts thinking about all of the possibilities.
The truth is I am just focused on us right now. We can finish second and play the seventh seed or third and play the sixth seed. We will have home ice advantage in either case in the first round. We can also finish the best regular season ever by a Caps team so we do have something to play for but NOT as much as Florida does. So that game should be like a playoff game for them.
I never subscribed to the notion of a good match up in the playoffs. I think that “Man plans - God laughs” and that the playoffs start an entirely new season. I am not frantic about who we play. We will play who we play. We will respect any team that we see in the first round. We have no control over it. All we can do is hope to stay healthy; catch our breath and rest up at the beginning of next week; and get refocused for game 1 at home of the playoffs.
I am sincere in that I don’t really care who we will play in Round 1. It is what it is. We will have to play well against any opponent once playoff time comes so I think it is time to chill out. We should enjoy this final week of the season on the road and then play the cards that we are dealt to use a poker metaphor. Onward and Go Caps!
I hope we have 2nd locked up by the time we play the Panthers so we can rest some of our top minute-getters that night.
The Panthers will leave it all on the ice if they’re still alive at that point.
I think you are undervaluing the importance of the second seed somewhat. That should be a strong motivating factor because it guarantees home ice in the second round. Look at the home records of Washington and New Jersey; it would matter. I do agree in principle with the match ups though, let the dice fall where they may!
Re: “I never subscribed to the notion of a good match up in the playoffs. I think that “Man plans – God laughs”
Given your lifetime winless playoff record, Ted, maybe you should start subscribing to the notion.
As long as it’s not Pittsbugh..
That Sidney Crosby is a tough fighter! I would hate for him to go after one of our guys.