Playoff struggles haunt Capitals, Ovechkin

It didn’t take Alexander Ovechkin long to become one of the most celebrated athletes to represent Washington.

Not long after the Capitals drafted a gap-toothed teenager from Russia did things start to change for the franchise on and off the ice.

They changed their uniforms, colors and logos. The most important part was that the Capitals started winning — and winning big. The infectious enthusiasm with which Ovechkin played as he put up one 50-goal season after another won over the District.

Yet since the Capitals began going to the playoffs on a mostly annual basis — they have missed only once since 2008 — they have struggled to find sustained postseason success.

When the Capitals open the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they will do so with less expectation than they have had in previous years. Despite winning the Metropolitan Division for the third consecutive season, the Capitals are a hip pick to be knocked out of the opening round.

It has happened before.

Over the past four seasons, the Capitals lead the NHL with 205 victories and 444 points. Washington has the best power play in the league during that time and Ovechkin has more goals than any other player in that span.

The Capitals have made it to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs six times since 2009 and have gone no further.

Since 2008, the Caps were knocked out in the opening round three times, although they have won their past three first-round series.

The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, are trying to win their first series.

“I think the pressure is just in our room to make sure we play the right way,” Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “The pressure for us is to continue try to be the team we envisioned, and that’s a team that does get past the first round, does get past the second round and so on. That’s the pressure within us, not from external people talking about our team. We’ve gone through that emotional rollercoaster before and no good comes of it.

“So, it’s just going to be staying tight in here and understanding we have a great opportunity in front of us.”

Tortorella said his team need not be “afraid” of the playoff pressure, but “embrace it” and “have a ball.”

“It’s such a grind and it’s so hard to get into the playoffs,” Tortorella said Monday. “I don’t think people realize how hard it is to get into the playoffs. When you do that, I think you need to stop and say, ‘OK, this is supposed to be fun now.’ The pressure and the intensity, that’s going to be there. We know that.”