LOVERRO: Capitals have little room for error — but it’s still an improvement on recent history

OPINION:

Both coaches touched on the same themes in their postgame press conferences after the Washington Capitals’ 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference opening round at Capital One Arena.

Thin. Slim. The difference between playoff success and failure.

“The margin of error is so slim,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said.

“It’s thin, so you want to be on the right side,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said after his team took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

These would be cliches in nearly every other NHL town. In Washington, it’s a cruel joke.

Here, the difference has been a little greater than slim or thin — more like a big wall. A Great Wall of China obstacle.

I shouldn’t have to spell out every immense playoff the Capitals have suffered — legendary losses, historic collapses. Add them up and the idea that what stood in the way of postseason glory for the Capitals for 40 years was something “thin” or “slim” might be too much to bear.

You want to make the case that what stood in the way of the Capitals all these years was something “thin” or “slim?” 

Yeah, OK — Washington goaltender Braden Holtby’s remarkable save in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals against Vegas in 2018 that salvaged a win and might have secured the series and the Capitals’ lone championship? That was slim. That was thin. 

The rest of it — blowing 2-0 and 3-1 series leads, 5-0 deficits in Game 7s, and on and on in recent years — nothing felt slim or thin about that cumulative history.

You could argue that the Capitals put that aside when they won the 2018 Stanley Cup. 

After their first-round exit the next year, absolutely. Following their second straight first-round exit, OK. But their third and fourth straight, followed by missing the playoffs completely in 2023, only to go out again in the first round last year — that starts to add up to something more than thin or slim.

This is not an argument against the narrowness of play that often leads to outcomes in hockey — particularly in the playoffs. 

Both coaches are right. 

It’s just that the truth is more painful for Capitals fans than in most places. And the truth here is that Washington could have easily been tied 1-1 in this series or down 2-0.

“That’s just playoff hockey,” Carbery said. “We could have easily lost Game 1 … same thing tonight. You’re seeing in every single series — it’s one play here or there. It’s one power play, penalty kill here. It’s one save. It’s one big moment.”

In this case, it was a big minute early in the second period after Montreal took a 1-0 lead on Christian Dvorak’s at 1:16 of the period. Nearly three minutes later, Washington’s Connor McMichael caught a deflection to tie the game, then a minute later, Dylan Strome gave the Capitals the 2-1 lead with a score off his own rebound. McMichael would add the salt in the wound with an empty net goal as time was about to expire.

“If you’re not able to capitalize and execute and find a way to get that game to 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, you let a team stay right there within a goal,” Carbery said. “And now we obviously do a really poor job of managing that game in the third period.”

That was what led to overtime in Game 1 after Washington blew a 2-0 lead — a mismanaged third period. This time, though, goaltender Logan Thompson held the thin line, with 25 saves on 26 shots, including 14 in the third period.

“He (Thompson) was unbelievable, especially in the last five minutes,” Strome said.

As the series shifts to Montreal for Game 3 Friday night, it should be clear now that there is not much difference between the eighth-seeded Canadiens and the top-seeded Capitals.

The margin seems thin. But as we’ve seen many times before in Washington, it could end up being as thick as a brick.

• Catch Thom Loverro on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast.