When the Capitals outlined their goals before the season, among them was not losing two games in a row. But in a stretch from late October through the first week of November, Washington lost five straight. Then the Capitals lost back-to-back games twice in November and had a four-game losing streak in January.
But in March, as the regular season neared its end, the Capitals started showing their resiliency and since a loss to the Dallas Stars on March 13, they haven’t lost consecutive games.
“I think guys understand that if you lose a game, it’s sort of the playoff mentality where you let it go and you figure out what you’ve got to do for the next game,” Washington Coach Barry Trotz said. “It’s a simple formula, but it’s a mindset you have to have.”
The success in rebounding from losses kept the Capitals afloat after they lost home ice in their first-round series against the Islanders. With the opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for only the third time in franchise history, they hope to continue that trend on Sunday night in Game 6 against the Rangers.
“We all want to get back on the horse,” Jason Chimera said. “Anytime you lose a game, you want to come back strong and get back on it and not let things fester up too much.”
Once the disappointment of blowing a 1-0 lead in the final two minutes of Game 5 at Madison Square Garden wore off, the Capitals evaluated their position in the series. They still have a three games to two lead with the opportunity to eliminate the Rangers on their home ice on Sunday. Their goaltender has surrendered just three goals in the last three games. They feel as though they have yet to play their best hockey, despite being ahead in the series.
Chimera said the team feeds off goaltender Braden Holtby who “takes it pretty personally” after losses. But the unpleasant feeling of losing doesn’t create tension.
“It’s just a matter of staying confident and coming in and realizing the situation and knowing that we still have a Game 6 in our barn,” center Jay Beagle said. “It’s fun. This is the playoffs. This is what you look forward to, coming back home in a big game.”
The Capitals stayed off the rink on Saturday afternoon, resting after their overtime loss in Game 5. They have won five straight games at home, and they’ve had losing streaks of at least three games just three times this season. The Rangers, who had the best regular-season record in the league, also had the best road record. But the Capitals will look to bounce back from their latest loss in the same way they have for nearly two months, this time for a raucous home crowd.
“I think we do a good job of learning from our mistakes and how we can improve in certain areas and try to apply that to games going forward,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said. “Obviously, you’re frustrated with the way things ended last night, but that’s probably a good thing. Everybody is a competitive guy in here, but I think being able to turn the page pretty quickly has been to our benefit.”
