NHL Playoffs 2011: Capitals Need to Close Series with Rangers on Saturday

If history has taught us anything about the Washington Capitals in the playoffs, it's that this team has trouble finishing what it started. It's for that reason that the Capitals should enter Saturday's Game 5 with the Rangers with the mindset that the contest is a "must-win" situation for the team.

Like the past three springs, the Capitals entered their first-round series as the higher seed and the consensus favorite to win the best-of-seven. However, this time around, the Capitals have played a gritty, more playoff-friendly style of hockey that has helped them grab a 3-1 series lead on the Rangers.

Yes, last year the Caps held the same series lead on the Montreal Canadiens, but that lead was as much due to Montreal's decision to switch Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price in net between Games 3 and 4. No, this time, the Capitals have built their lead by showing a resiliency and confidence that simply wasn't there last season.

While the three-goal comeback in Game 4 was clearly a turning point in the series, as early as Game 1 it was clear that these weren't your father's Capitals. In the opening game, Washington trailed the Rangers with less than 10 minutes remaining in the final period. In the past, this would've cued Washington's panicked late-game scramble to tie the game. Instead, the Capitals stuck to their game plan, and eventually Alex Ovechkin popped in a "garbage goal" to send the game into overtime with just over six minutes remaining.

Similarly, on Wednesday, the Capitals didn't panic, even when trailing by three goals. They kept pressuring the Rangers and, more importantly, kept believing that they would find a way to win. That quiet confidence is what helped the Capitals rebound from a horrid eight-game losing streak in the first half of the season to reclaim the top spot in the Eastern Conference by season's end.

Again on Wednesday, it was the Capitals getting the fortunate bounce in overtime, but they got there by creating their own luck. Last year, Montreal and Halak shut down Washington's offensive stars and thoroughly frustrated the talented Capitals. On Wednesday, the Capitals kept pressing, firing 52 shots on Henrik Lundqvist before Jason Chimera finally found himself with an open net and the puck on his stick in the second overtime.

Which brings us to Saturday's pivotal Game 5. Last year, Washington played a mediocre Game 5 and allowed Montreal to gain momentum until the point that it couldn't be stopped. If Washington wants to reverse the trend (Washington is 2-6 all-time in series that go to seven games), it can't let the series go on any longer.

The Capitals are simply too good of a hockey team to allow New York to climb back into this series, and they have the chance to vanquish their playoff demons with a win on Saturday.

Wednesday's win was a gut-wrenching experience for the Rangers as a team, but more specifically for their stars in Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik, who together gift-wrapped the overtime winner for Chimera. The comeback took the wind out of the Rangers' sails and presents a perfect opportunity for the Capitals to seal up the series at home.

Teams rarely go far in the playoffs without having at least one shorter series because it allows players to rest up for the next grueling challenge.  

This series has been an emotional, physical battle from the outset, and finishing it in five games would bode well for the Capitals' postseason hopes.

The Capitals' offensive arsenal and greatly improved team defense have them appearing to be poised for a lengthy playoff run, and a win Saturday is the first step in making that possibility a reality.