Time for a change.
Three teams have won the Stanley Cup in the past six seasons. But now the stalwarts are off balance – the Chicago Blackhawks have lost their best young player, the Boston Bruins are rebuilding, and the Los Angeles Kings missed the play-offs last season.
So which of the league’s 27 other franchises are ready to step up?
I like the Washington Capitals. They showed spirit this past spring. They won a seven-game series in the first round against the New York Islanders, then took the New York Rangers to Game 7 before falling in overtime.
The key is Alex Ovechkin. Long derided as a diva, Ovechkin finally showed a level of desire to match his talent in the play-offs.
His signature moment came in the third period of Game 2 against the Rangers when he barged through two defenders, was knocked to his knees, yet scored to halve a two-goal deficit.
Washington are all in this year. They have spent well, and owner Ted Leonsis seems to feel duty-bound to do right for his captain. In July, Leonsis said, “I feel I haven’t met my commitment” to Ovechkin in prior years to build a team that could win the cup.
“We’re in it together,” he added. “He can sense it and see it.”
If these Caps have a question mark, it is on defence. Their blueline corps is solid, yet they lack the star who seems a prerequisite for winning the cup. Each of the three recent champions rode a horse on ‘D’ – Duncan Keith for Chicago, Drew Doughty for Los Angeles and Zdeno Chara for Boston.
But if the defence errs, the goalie can atone. Keeper Braden Holtby is one of the 10 best in the league.
Stanley Cup prediction: Washington win the cup in Game 7 over the Calgary Flames.
Like I said, time for a change.
rmckenzie@thenational.ae
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