The temptation is to look again on what has now grow to be a discernible sample for the Capitals: 4 seasons because the Stanley Cup championship that felt as if a curse had lastly been lifted and 4 immediate first-round exits. The newest got here courtesy of the Florida Panthers, concluding with Friday night time’s 4-3 loss in Sport 6. The specifics are that T.J. Oshie willed dwelling a puck with 63 seconds remaining in regulation to blow the lid off Capital One Enviornment and power time beyond regulation however that Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers as soon as they obtained there. That was it. Welcome to summer season.

“I feel we’ve been there virtually each recreation,” captain Alex Ovechkin stated. “We get the lead, and we blew it away.”

Capitals eradicated from Stanley Cup playoffs with Sport 6 loss to Panthers

There’s a sane line of pondering that claims this collection might have gone the opposite manner, and it’s rooted in issues reminiscent of Garnet Hathaway’s length-of-the-ice shot at an empty web within the closing minutes of Sport 4. A few inches a technique, and it will have given the Caps a 3-1 lead within the recreation — and possibly a 3-1 lead within the collection. As a substitute, the puck went huge, and the Panthers obtained the equalizer in a six-on-five scenario, then the game-winner in time beyond regulation. Why? As a result of, hockey.

However within the aftermath of one other disappointment, what must be assessed — and truthfully — is: Can this group make an actual run at one other Cup?

“I feel in case you’ve been there earlier than, you realize what it takes,” stalwart middle Nicklas Backstrom stated. “To reply your query: Sure, I feel so.”

It’s not the identical group as again in 2018, after all. Solely eight gamers who hoisted the trophy that June night time in Las Vegas skated for the Capitals on this collection. They’re nonetheless a very powerful items — Ovechkin and Backstrom and on down by means of the lineup, Oshie and John Carlson and the remainder. And possibly that’s the difficulty.

“It’s on us,” Ovechkin stated. “It’s on ‘Backy,’ on ‘Osh,’ on ‘Carly,’ on all people. It’s a sort of f—ed-up scenario.”

They nonetheless care, and this nonetheless wounds them.

The concept of signing Ovechkin and Backstrom, the franchise pillars who modified hockey on this city, to contracts that primarily made them Capitals for all times felt proper. However it’s not with out ramifications. The issue isn’t that the pair — now 36 and 34, respectively — can’t nonetheless produce. Ovechkin simply had one other 50-goal season, and Backstrom scored the purpose that put them up 2-1 Friday night time. It’s that, ultimately, they must be supporting characters for spry legs who can do the heavy lifting.

“Finally” might have to begin subsequent season.

Discover the threads that hyperlink the 4 straight playoff losses. They’ve come in opposition to 4 completely different opponents, underneath two completely different coaches. They’ve are available in seven, 5, 5 and now six video games, respectively. They’ve concerned accidents — to Backstrom in 2019, to Tom Wilson this yr.

Regardless of the commonalities and variations, the repeated outcomes are unacceptable. Because the Capitals started yearly making playoff appearances with Ovechkin and Backstrom — the primary was in 2008, and so they have missed solely as soon as since — they’d not gone greater than two straight seasons with out successful a collection. Now it has grow to be one thing of a ritual. Springs have grow to be awfully brief in Washington.

“There’s some reflection to do,” Oshie stated.

Reflection, although, isn’t more likely to end in an entire roster overhaul. These have been the Capitals of Ovechkin and Backstrom by means of all of the postseason disappointments — the blown 3-1 lead in opposition to Montreal, the struggles in opposition to Pittsburgh, on and on. They had been the Capitals of Ovechkin and Backstrom after they lastly, mercifully gained the Cup. They usually would be the Capitals of Ovechkin and Backstrom for at the least two extra seasons as a result of Backstrom’s contract runs by means of 2023-24 and Ovechkin’s by means of the next season.

However it’s greater than that. Oshie — who put behind an injury-plagued common season to attain six objectives on this collection — is signed by means of 2023-24, when he will probably be 37. Carlson, the pillar of a defenseman, is signed a yr past that, when he will probably be 35. Third-line middle Lars Eller is right here for one more yr, when he’ll flip 34. The one established, core gamers who’ve at the least a few seasons forward that will nonetheless be thought of of their “prime” are the 28-year-old Wilson, whose absence from all however three shifts of this collection was paramount; middle Evgeny Kuznetsov, who turns 30 subsequent week; and 30-year-old defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who’s signed solely by means of subsequent season.

So the youngsters have to come back — and quick. Connor McMichael, 21, was within the lineup in opposition to Florida, however he has gained solely sufficient belief to be awarded lower than 4 minutes of ice time from Coach Peter Laviolette. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby is 24. Aliaksei Protas is 21. Hendrix Lapierre is 20. In some unspecified time in the future — and shortly — they’ve to interchange the ageing items by taking a heavy share of each ice time and manufacturing. There’s a core right here that’s certified to show. The scholars must be each prepared and in a position, or the outcomes will probably be some model of the identical.

“The final couple years, we’ve been down, and groups have had their manner with us a bit of bit,” Oshie stated, reflecting on five-game losses to the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. “I don’t assume the all-in facet was fairly there the final couple years. This yr, I feel we had been extraordinarily near being 100%, all people on board.”

But what remained had been solely the newest scenes of defeat — Ilya Samsonov, mendacity within the crease after Verhaege’s purpose; the Panthers leaping on high of one another within the reverse nook; the lengthy, sluggish handshake line; then the Capitals elevating their sticks to the group, thanking them for rocking the purple.

The fellows shaking these palms had been so lots of the similar who’ve been doing it right here for years. In the event that they’re going to be on the celebratory finish of these handshakes, the group that heads to the locker room and wonders whom it can face subsequent, there must be some youthful palms concerned. The transition is underway. It must be as a result of it’s the one approach to prolong springs round right here.