Ceci Ferrara
May 18, 2015
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
There’s a popular saying that goes “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Unfortunately for Washington sports teams and their fans, that phrase is true more often than not.
Just a few short weeks ago, both the Wizards and Capitals advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in history. It was an exciting time, as both teams looked poised to make runs deep into the postseason. There was even talk of the Wizards making it to the finals. But almost as quickly as they had captured the nation’s attention, their seasons were over in heartbreaking fashion.
After the Capitals eliminated the New York Islanders in the first round, they hoped to polish off the Rangers in similar fashion. At first, there seemed to be no competition, with the Caps taking a 3-1 series lead. But a 1-2 overtime loss in Game 5 opened the door for the Rangers, who controlled most of Game 6 and won 4-3.
Though the Capitals seemed confident heading into Game 7, it was obvious that the momentum had shifted in favor of New York. Alex Ovechkin scored his fifth goal of the series 12:50 into the first period to give Washington the lead. The Rangers responded with a goal midway through the second, and a scoreless third period forced overtime.
After an icing, and a face-off which the Rangers won, they got close to the net. Dan Girardi’s shot was blocked, but the puck bounced to teammate Derek Stepan on his left, who was able to put a wrist shot past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby for the win. It happened so fast that Holtby, who was still trying to reposition himself after Girardi’s shot, never made it back onto his feet.
“Great battle,” Ovechkin said afterwards. “One shot, one moment. I think we played great in OT, we had chances. But one moment can end the series and end the game. It’s over. I wish them luck.”
History repeated itself for both teams. The Rangers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the semifinals for the second consecutive year, while it is the fourth time in eight seasons that the Capitals fell short in the second round. In the past six seasons, the Caps are 3-11 in win-or-go-home playoff games.
“Obviously we had an opportunity to close it out, but all the games were close,” said Holtby. “It could have been 3-1 the other way at that time and us coming back. We fought hard and it was a great series, one that could have easily gone our way, but it just didn’t.”
New York will now face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. They won the first game, 2-1, on Saturday.
Wizards
Just a few minutes before the Caps were eliminated last Wednesday, the Wizards had their own disappointing ending.
With the series tied 2-2, Game 5 wasn’t a must-win situation for Washington, but a victory would have given them a little breathing room. Instead, the Wizards struggled to keep–and maintain–control. The game went back and forth several times–there were seven lead changes–and was decided on the final play.
Paul Pierce, who had been the Wizard’s go-to for three pointers this post-season, hit one with 8.3 seconds left to give Washington a one-point lead. With under 10 seconds left the Hawks got the ball down the court and had a lay-up blocked by John Wall for what looked to be the end of the game.
All the Wizards needed was the rebound. But Nene was unable to hold on to the ball, which was promptly snatched away by Al Horford who dropped the ball in for an 82-81 lead with 1.9 seconds left. A missed three-point attempt by Wall ended the game.
With the Wizards’ season on the line, the series headed back to Washington for Game 6. But instead of dominating in front of their home fans, they struggled to keep pace, trailing for most of the game. They finally closed in during the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but were never able to break away for a substantial lead.
Trailing by three points with 6.4 seconds left, the Wizards once again looked to Pierce to come up with the big play. The veteran, who may not return for another season, moved to the left side of the court to take the shot, and launched it into the air. As the buzzer sounded, the ball dropped in to tie the game.
The crowd erupted, as the game looked to be headed to overtime. But the celebration was short lived. The play was overturned on review, with the referees concluding that Pierce did not get the shot off before time expired. The game, and Washington’s season, was over.
“A lot of times I deliver, a lot of times I didn’t,” said Pierce afterward. “But I’m always willing and ready.”
For Bradley Beal, who held a team-high 29 points and led the team during Wall’s post-season absence, the loss was a major blow.
“It’s frustrating. It’s depressing. It’s sad,” he said. “It’s probably every synonym of ‘sad’ you can think of.”
Atlanta will next face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the winner heading to the NBA Finals. Though the Wizards are sidelined, it’s hard not to think about what would have happened if a few key plays had gone their way.
“I still feel, and I know our guys feel, we should have won this series,” Wizards coach Randy Wittman said.
