Evgeny Kuznetsov: Here’s the thing with stuff. You can look at a problem from every angle and drive yourself crazy, but sometimes you just gotta huck a Molotov cocktail at a drone and see what happens.
John Carlson: Is what happens that the drone blows up?
After taking some time to digest, I have some thoughts about that first round:
This was never about the Caps. This is the Panthers’ story.
My dad has this belief especially in sports that he likes to call “due theory,” and the way it works is if someone has had a long drought or say the power play has been 0 for its last 20 or something, he’ll say “Oh they’re due. Due theory.” Basically saying their fortunes will change because they’re owed one, or their luck won’t stay that same way forever. I think you get the gist.
Anyway, while preparing to watch overtime of Game 6, he said: “Due theory! Caps are due” rooting for an OT winner. And obviously that didn’t happen, but later I realized that due theory did in fact apply to OT, just not for the Caps, because the Panthers’ due theory was stronger. They haven’t won a playoff round since 1996. They’ve never won a Cup ever. Caps have done both of those things very recently. Florida’s due theory simply won out; it wasn’t our time.
While we may be disappointed, it just simply isn’t about us. This is the Panthers’ journey, and we were simply a stepping stone on their path. I personally believe a Battle of Florida rematch was simply destined to happen; any Panthers path to the Cup has to have them beating their most bitter rivals (Tampa) along the way, much like the Caps had to beat Pittsburgh along their way; coincidentally it also happened to be in the second round when their rivals were two-time reigning Cup Champs. This is their moment, their story, and tbh I can feel a little bit of the magic there. As much as we may not like it, we were simply supporting characters, and it’s time to sit back and let the story unfold.
The 2021-22 Washington Capitals and (most of) their significant others, minus Martin Fehervary and Michal Kempny, guest starting Alex Alexeyev and Capitals prospect Bogdan Trineyev
Featuring:
Kuzy standing on top of a chair in the back just to be a drama queen
Julie Eller’s hat
Whatever face McMichael is making
Short people in the front of the class photo, except for Joe Snively, who managed to sneak his way into the back row for probably the first time in his life
Cryptid Nicke
Johan Larsson looking like he got forced into some kind of fourth line gossip circle at the table and just begrudgingly accepting his fate
And finally: Sammy, in his ripped jeans, throwing up the , clutching a glass of champagne , front and center on his ass sitting fully on the ground
