Alex Ovechkin is a future Hall of Famer, but if he doesn't win a Stanley Cup before his career his over, part of his legacy will be that he never won a Cup and couldn't lead his team to a championship.
Hockey is a team sport, but Ovi and other great players that don't win are unfairly criticized for not winning.
There are no excuses when it comes to playoff shortcomings, but hockey fans have to admit the Capitals have been unlucky in recent years because of the playoff format, and Ovi would agree.
Thanks to realignment years ago, the playoff format changed and the top teams haven't really been rewarded for finishing in first place in the conference because they could end up facing the second best team in the conference in the second round.
As you can see, Ovi disagrees with the current playoff format because of that exact reason. The last two seasons, the Capitals faced the Penguins in the second round of the playoffs and lost both times.
The Penguins went on to win the Cup in both years, and while it's easy to say the Capitals would have lost if they faced another team in the second round knowing their playoff history, we're not so sure that would have been the case.
Washington isn't viewed as the best team in the NHL this season, but if they win their first round series and if the Penguins do the same (assuming both make the playoffs), the rivals will face each other in the second round once again.
(H/T: Gino Reda)
