Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Caps doing it with ‘D’
ARLINGTON, Va. — Of all the ways the Capitals have tried to win in the playoffs, none has been as effective as this.
They pushed the pace with speed and skill when Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom were part of the “Young Guns.” They made every game a coin flip with tight, Dale Hunter hockey. Each time, an early exit followed.
This year is different. Suddenly, the Capitals are a suffocating defensive team that clogs the middle of the ice and makes even the fastest of opponents look slow.
The Golden Knights are the latest to get frustrated by the Capitals’ neutralzone pressure that took a toll on the Blue Jackets, Penguins and Lightning, paving the way for this run to the Stanley Cup Final. After cruising through three rounds with ease, nothing looks easy right now for the Knights because the Capitals have mastered the art of frustration, and are two wins away from hoisting the Cup for the first time.
“Offensive teams have certain tendencies, certain routes that they take through the neutral zone, plays they like to make,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said Sunday. “So if you can be on top of them and turn over some pucks, stifle them, make it hard for them to gain entry with possession, that frustrates skilled players. If you can be in their face, just standing in the way, it’s amazing what that does.”
It’s amazing the transformation the Capitals have made since coach Barry Trotz challenged players late in the regular season to embrace this approach. It was clear as early as Game 4 of the first round that the STANLEY CUP FINAL | CAPITALS LEAD SERIES 2-1 Golden Knights 6, Capitals 4 Capitals 3, Golden Knights 2 Capitals 3, Golden Knights 1 Monday at Washington Thursday at Las Vegas June 10 at Washington June 13 at Las Vegas * if necessary 1-1-3 trap in the neutral zone had the ability to essentially shut down the opposing attack, and since the first two playoff games the Capitals are 10-2 when scoring first.
The Golden Knights have found how difficult it is to try to come back against the Capitals and need to adjust quickly down 2-1 in the Cup final going into Game 4 Monday night. They have to make some adjustments before it’s too late.
“Our guys who have a lot of speed can go back deeper, gather some speed,” winger David Perron said. “Then the defensemen can try to freeze the first forechecker, kick it wide. These guys coming with speed, if they’re confronted, which they will be most times at the blue line, you can put it in and go on the forecheck. You can have guys hang close to the right wing or up top, and as the puck is coming your way, win the one-on-one battle with support . ... We also have to try to not let them set up, so if there’s a turnover, a quick one, we can punt it up, go back on offense.”
The Penguins and Lightning tried that and couldn’t crack the Capitals well enough to advance.
“They’re really good at slowing you down,” Lightning forward J.T. Miller said during the Eastern Conference final. “Right when you want to just chip it and go, there’s a guy, there’s a wall there, and guys are ready to go back and get it on the other side . ...
“It’s just their ability to stand up and make you force plays because it looks like there’s more ice than there is, and then all of a sudden they do a good job of staying in front and retrieving pucks.”