INTERVIEW – ROMAN STUBBS – Sports reporter for The Washington Post – Previewed the Caps’ chances in the NHL playoffs
- The five factors that could decide the Capitals’ playoff fate (Washington Post) — The Washington Capitals will open the Stanley Cup playoffs Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets with much less hype than the previous two years, when Washington, then a title favorite, twice failed to advance past the second round. Here are a few pressing story lines facing these Capitals, who relish the chance to fly under the radar for a change: Can Alex Ovechkin continue his tear? Ovechkin gave Washington fans a memorable regular season finale in Saturday’s 5-3 win over New Jersey, scoring two goals to finish with 49. It has a been a decorated year for Ovechkin, who in the past month alone scored his 600th goal and played in his 1,000th game. How his jaw-dropping production at 32 translates to the postseason will again be a crucial component of Washington’s run. Ovechkin has a talented and intriguing sidekick in Evgeny Kuznetsov (83 points), but Ovechkin will face the brunt of the questions about whether he can exorcise the Capitals’ playoff demons, should they reach the second round. Philipp Grubauer or Braden Holtby?: Coach Barry Trotz split his goaltenders for the final two games of the regular season and has remained mum on who will start Game 1. While Holtby struggled during the second half of the season, Grubauer has been one of the most productive goaltenders in the league since late November, posting a .937 save percentage over his past 27 outings. Holtby was pulled by Trotz in Washington’s 5-1 loss to Columbus when the teams last met in late February, but in the other three games with the Blue Jackets this season, he posted three wins and a .937 save percentage.
