D.C. sports smorgasbord: Yum, yum, but pass the Tums
Follow
By DERON SNYDER (as published in The Washington Times)
Three games, two countries, and one city, the latter full of angst-ridden fans watching from afar.
Or in other words, Tuesday night in D.C.
Trepidation always follows when the calendar conspires to put the Capitals, Wizards and Nationals in action on the same date. Such occurrences typically serve as a warmup act for autumn’s solo performance, when the Nats face all the playoff pressure with none of the emotional support from fellow home teams.
We know how these stories usually end once they untwine.
Take last year, for instance, when the Nats recorded a walk-off win against Baltimore on May 10. Unfortunately, in second-round matchups the same night, Pittsburgh bounced the Caps in Game 7 and Boston throttled the Wizards in Game 5. Five months later at Nationals Park, the Chicago Cubs extended the Nats’ streak of first-round misery.
If this year is going to be different, you couldn’t tell entering Tuesday night.
Signs of encouragement weren’t rampant afterward, either. You could applaud the fact that any appeared at all, but you’re correct to remain leery.
The Caps clearly faced the direst straits, having lost a pair of overtime games against Columbus at Capital One Arena. The Wizards had “merely” dropped their opener in Toronto and were looking at the prospect of a home-team-held-serve 0-2 deficit. The Nats had recorded a miraculous comeback against the Mets the night before, meaning they might be “only” six or seven games behind – instead of nine – upon leaving New York.
Two wins against one loss isn’t bad. Better yet, the team that could least afford an L avoided it.
But the Caps made fans suffer until the very end, yet again.
I have no idea why the Caps insist on being such drama kings. Regulation time was insufficient in their two losses on home ice, so they doubled down and went to double overtime against the Blue Jackets in Game 3. Eight of Washington’s last 10 first-round games have required extra time; the other two were also decided by a single goal.
Coach Barry Trotz was rewarded for going back to goaltender Braden Holtby (33 saves) and everyone finally exhaled when Lars Eller scored nine minutes into the second overtime. “It puts us right back in the series,” Holtby told reporters after the 3-2 victory. “I thought we held our composure really well in the overtimes.
“We didn’t cheat. We stuck to our systems and got a gritty goal to win it. It’s a good sign.”
Conversely, the only good sign after the Wizards’ experience in Toronto was “Welcome to Washington” alongside the road as they returned.
Unlike the series opener, which featured seven ties and 15 lead changes, Game 2 was over from the start. Otto Porter’s jumper gave Washington it’s only lead – 2-0 – before the Raptors roared to a 44-27 advantage by quarter’s end. The halftime deficit was worse, 76-58.
The Wizards closed to within five points midway through the fourth quarter, but again trailed by 20 with two minutes left. “It’s tough to overcome 44 points in the first quarter,” coach Scott Brooks told reporters. “Tough to overcome seven threes in the first quarter, but we somehow managed to do it. We probably ran out of a gas a little bit.”
They should get a boost from playing at Cap One on Friday, but they’ve been far from dominant there. Every other Eastern Conference playoff team finished the regular season at least nine games over .500 on its own court; the Wizards were an unremarkable 23-18.
If they think playing at home will cure what ails them, that dovetails nicely with thinking they’re an elite team that can beat any opponent on talent alone. We saw how that worked out against also-rans and the outcome is unlikely to change against the conference’s top seed.
Home games have been depressing for the Caps this postseason and just as dismal for the Nats through the first homestand (3-7). Having improved to 6-2 on the road after Tuesday’s win, the Nats face a six-game, California swing against the Dodgers and Giants.
The finale next week in San Francisco could be part of another tension-filled evening in D.C.
On that date, April 25, the Caps and Blue Jackets could face-off in Game 7 downtown, while the Wizards tip-off against the Raptors back in Toronto.
The Association of DMV Sports Bar Owners certainly would be thrilled by that prospect. And considering the undesirable alternatives – the Caps losing in five or six while the Wizards are swept – we should root for another triple play as well.
So, if another Caps-Wiz-Nats trifecta is ahead, get ready. I guess we’re lucky to be in a market where such possibilities exist.
Even though we know how these stories usually end.
— Brooklyn-born and Howard-educated, Deron Snyder writes his award-winning column for The Washington Times on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Follow him on Twitter @DeronSnyder.
