The Capitals are out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals are out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Washington fell to the New York Rangers 4-2 on Sunday night, ending their 2023-24 season. For many fans, this felt like an expected outcome. They had trouble with offense heading into the playoffs. If Washington wanted to have a chance, they needed to find an offensive spark.
Unfortunately, their efforts weren’t enough. The Capitals now head toward the offseason with a few question marks on the roster. Washington sold at the NHL Trade Deadline but rode a hot streak into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Will this team try to run it back for one more playoff run? Or is Washington headed toward a full rebuild?
Those questions will be answered this summer once the offseason kicks into gear. For now, fans want to know what went wrong against the Rangers. And two Capitals players played a big role in the team’s elimination in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Charlie Lindgren wasn’t the same
One of the reasons the Capitals made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first place was goalie Charlie Lindgren. He had a career year with Washington in 2023-24. The 30-year-old Minnesota native recorded a .911 save percentage during the regular season. Furthermore, he recorded a 10.62 goals above average and an 18.58 goals saved above expected.
However, Washington did not receive a great performance from Lindgren against the Rangers. The Minnesota native played in all four games of the series. And he struggled to an .864 save percentage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The underlying numbers aren’t great, either. Lindgren posted -2.28 goals saved above average and -3.05 goals saved above expected in this series.
The Capitals needed stellar goaltending in order to go far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In round one, they simply did not get the needed effort in goal. As a result, Washington is headed for the offseason while the Rangers march on to the second round.
Rangers blanked Alex Ovechkin
Perhaps it’s a bit harsh to put a ton of blame on Alex Ovechkin here. After all, he is another major reason the Capitals made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first place. If he doesn’t go on a tear after the NHL All-Star Game, it’s likely the Detroit Red Wings or Pittsburgh Penguins facing the Rangers in this series.
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However, that late-season tear does not absolve him of his role in this outcome. Especially given how little of an impact he actually made in this series. Through four games, Ovechkin managed just five shots on goal against the Rangers. And four of them came in Game 3.
The future Hall of Famer was even held without a shot in Games 1 and 4. He did not score a goal, and he didn’t even manage an assist against the Rangers. This is the first time in Ovechkin’s career that he failed to record a single point in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His previous career low was two points.
The Capitals already had issues generating offense before facing the Rangers. But if there was one player Washington could count on, Alex Ovechkin was that player. In the end, though, he made no impact on this series. He couldn’t save the day this time, and in the end, that was Washington’s undoing.
Washington needed Alex Ovechkin to lead them offensively in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Rangers knew this and did everything they could to contain him. It worked, and now the Capitals are left to pick up the pieces this offseason.
