Caps clinch playoff spot after season of total chaos

Nothing like waiting til the second to last game of the season to clinch a playoff spot. Hey, I think I've endured quite a lot as a sports fan the last 20 years of my life but I can't remember a season in recent memory as agonizing and torturous as this 2011-2012 Caps season. As the season progressed the only thing that was certain about this team was their total unpredictability. Players hurt, free agents sucking, coaches fired, and more "must win" games than I ever want to experience for the rest of my life.

A lot of dark twists and turns have plagued the Caps playoff journey

Yet, somehow, not only did this preseason Stanley Cup favorite just lock up the 8 seed...they are 1 win away from snatching the Southeastern Division from the free-falling Panthers. Which is not something I feel tremendously good about - its more of a sigh of relief that I can relax for about a week before the playoffs start. Because lets be clear - this was a nightmare of a regular season for the Caps. After ripping off 7 straight W's to start the season, nothing went according to plan for the next 5-6 months. They never successfully turned the proverbial corner, never established an identity (unless you count a maniacal schizophrenic as an identity), basically never instilled confidence that they could go on any sort of run. It was mostly the opposite feeling...like I was constantly fighting the urge to hurl every time I tuned in for a Caps game.

Even last night after they went up 3-0 there was not a Caps fan on Earth who felt the lead was safe. And rightly so. The stupid Panthers promptly scored 2 goals in the 2nd and 3rd periods and I felt yet another wave of nausea hit me. And although they pulled it out (Semin's money shot iced it to go up 4-2), Neuvirth went down in a heap leaving the goaltending situation to Braden Holtby and....(crickets)....yeah, pretty much just Holtby going into the playoffs (who I like, but I don't think anyone thinks he can carry the team on a playoff run). Great.




It feels preposterous that Caps fans have been forced to resign themselves to "just happy to be here" status for the playoffs - but that's exactly the toll this season has exacted on a fanbase that has wanted/expected a Cup run for the past 4-5 years...now the Caps are in the playoffs again, but under a entirely different set of circumstances and expectations. Who hell knows what this team is going to do, but my barf bag will never be far away.