Recap 3/18 vs Chicago

The Washington Capitals don't deserve to make the playoffs...

                              --Jeremy Roenick during last night's postgame wrapup

Don't blame JR, folks...he's just doing what he always does--telling it like it is.  And what it's like is that the Capitals have suddenly stopped playing like a desperate team.  Maybe they really have quit like everyone claims they have.  What does it say when team leaders Mike Knuble and Alex Ovechkin score goals and they mean nothing?  Or when the team falls behind 4-1 after just over 30 minutes of play? Or when they let a no-talent punk like Andrew Shaw score two goals?  Or worst of all that they didn't even get 20 shots on goal?

Now of course in the NHL you're not going to win every game.  But when it matters most, you have to show up with your best effort.  This is now back to back games where it's happened.  Gentlemen, in case you have forgotten, YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PLAYOFF RUN!

This whole team acts like it needs an enema, and then a swift kick in the rear.  Or perhaps the reverse.  Whichever.  But there's no excuse for games like last night.  And it only gets tougher because they visit Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings tonight.  Now they can pack it in and concede their 31st loss already or they can fight and get a point out of this game, two with any luck.

The time for half-assed efforts was over a dozen games ago.  It's man up, or go golfing--what's it going to be?