Photo by Martin Locraft/MJLPhoto.comOkay, maybe it’s not coming up. Maybe it’s not tomorrow. Maybe it’s not next year. Maybe it won’t happen this decade, but someday, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs again.
There is no rule that says this must happen. There is no league policy forcing superstars to play each other; in fact it hasn’t happened in decades. There is no law that says that the matchup all the fans wanted to see has to happen again. There is no law of nature that says that crushing disappointments following stellar efforts must be rewarded with second chances.
They say in life there are no second chances. They say opportunity only knocks once. They say a lot of things. To be a Caps fan right now is to believe that the Capitals will one day again face the Penguins in the playoffs and that, when they do, they will have spent every intervening moment training, studying, drilling, preparing and building their team for the sole purpose of defeating Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Crosby walked through the crease at will during this series. Next time, the Caps will be ready. Malkin and Crosby each brought their best physical play against a Caps defense that has focused all year on skillful transitions and long outlet passes. Next time the Caps will be ready. The Penguins looked beatable for six games and then finally took advantage of a couple rookie mistakes by the Caps’ wunderkind goaltender. Next time…
