I Had No Idea The NHL Decided To Start Giving Presidents' Trophy Winners A Free Pass To Round 2

Bruce Bennett. Getty Images.

Listen. I'm not saying this to be a dick. Not trying to be outlandish and present the Blueshirts as the habitual kings of the NHL simply because they finished #1 in the regular season. I'm aware of their 82 years of failure over the last 83. I have not forgotten the disappearing act a year ago after jumping out to a dominant 2-0 series lead headed back to MSG against the upstart Devils. I remember what happened to the Bruins last year & the Lightning back in 2019. I respect the hell out of Charlie Lindgren dragging the rest of his team to the dance kicking & screaming. All that being said…

The Washington Capitals stink. STINK. There is absolutely NO CHANCE the New York Rangers aren't a lock for Round 2. Write it down, take a picture, tell your friends…I don't give a fuck. Ovi & Co. don't have a hope in hell.

All you need is a chip and a chair. I get it. The teams split their season series & Lindgren was awesome between the pipes in all three starts. Everyone's popping off about their goal differential but they're only a minus squad thanks to Darcy Kuemper. In front of Lindgren they're a coin flip. The guy strapped up for 22 of the Caps' final 24 games since March 1 - four more than any other goalie in the league - racking up a 13-7-2 record, 3 goose eggs & 2.45/.916 peripherals for his team to just barely squeak in thanks to a tie game empty-netter. That's right up there with Shesterkin's 10-5-1/2.41/.918 over the same stretch. Impressive. No doubt he's capable of stealing a game…maybe even two. And knowing the Rangers it'll probably be one of the first two at home.

Still, this guy's never played this much hockey before let alone at the stakes these last six weeks have been for Washington. Tasking him to almost single-handedly shut down one of the league's elite offenses enough to flip a seven-game playoff series on top of what he's already done is virtually impossible - especially taking into account that an already unimpressive defensive corps when healthy may continue to be without two of their top four in Sandin & Jensen. Feed me Dylan McIlrath.

Even if Lindgren stands on his head - how the hell does this team score enough to advance? The Rangers allowed the 7th-fewest goals per game this season and have a locked-in Shesterkin. The Capitals offense was the fifth-worst and they haven't scored more than two goals in any of their last ELEVEN games. Dylan Strome & Ovechkin led the team in scoring with 67 & 65 points. Their next-highest scoring forward is Tom Wilson with 35. Panarin almost matched Strome & Ovi combined while three other Blueshirts forwards have them beat. Lafreniere's 57 isn't that far behind either. 

Caps fans should be excited. They're not supposed to be here yet now they have a nothing-to-lose opportunity to shock the world.

But they've got no offense. No defense. No speed. Their core is old, tired & banged up. The Rangers are more skilled. Deeper. Faster. Younger. Stronger. Healthy. Laviolette's got the book on his former squad and every player in his new locker room has a chip on their shoulder after last year's early dismissal. It's the matchup I hoped for over Crosby, Detroit & even Philly. The only downside here is that they walk through this series like preseason games then run into whatever buzzsaw makes it out between CAR/NYI. We'll cross that bridge when we get there though.

And make no mistake about it. The Blueshirts are getting there.

Rangers in 5.

VIVA LA BLUESHIRTS!!!!