Washington Capitals: 5 Reasons Why They're Are Still the Beasts of the East

Wow.  One could begin and end an article about the Tampa Bay Lightning/Washington Capitals series with that one word and it would suffice.  The hockey world got rocked last night as the Cinderella Bolts stunned the Caps in a four-game sweep.

Under normal circumstances, that should be enough to blow up the team—fire the coach, fire the general manager and revamp the roster.

Yet, a closer look reveals that this Capitals team isn't going to be dismantled.  In fact, despite the playoff choke job version 2.0, they still reign supreme in the East.

Let's countdown the top five reasons why this is so.

5: Stability

Len Redkoles/Getty Images

WASHINGTON - MAY 02: Owner Ted Leonsis of the Washington Capitals poses with fans prior to the start of a NHL game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 2, 2009 at th

One of the cornerstones of the Washington Capitals franchise is the stable foundation they have in place.  Many people thought they would deconstruct the team last season after they bowed out to the pesky Canadiens in Round 1.

However, owner Ted Leonsis isn't a knee-jerk kind of guy.  He believes in the people he hires and trusts the philosophy of the organizational structure in place. 

How many people cried out for the Capitals to fire Bruce Boudreau after the 2010 playoffs?  Even more people wanted his head during their losing steak this season.  They stayed the course and proceeded to finish atop the East for the second consecutive season—even though they shifted gears and went from an offensive firepower to a defensive juggernaut.

The great franchises in sports have continuity regardless of the ups and downs of a particular season.  The teams that toil in mediocrity are the ones you see with constant turnover.

4: Talent

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 20: (L-R) Nicklas Backstrom #19 and Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrate after they won 4-3 in the second overtime against the New York Rangers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL

The problem with the 2011 Washington Capitals certainly isn't a question of talent. 

Quite the contrary.

This roster is littered with talent at every conceivable position. 

They are stacked up front with superstar-caliber names like Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.  On the back end they have an offensively gifted stud in Mike Green and two up and coming stalwarts in John Carlson and Karl Alzner. 

In goal, you can take your pick as they boast a wealth of rising stars between the pipes. 

3: Leadership

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

TAMPA, FL - MAY 04: Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee arrives for his team's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the St Pete Times Forum on May

Okay, so you won't find a jersey in the Capitals lineup that bears a name such as Pronger or Kesler, but the leadership I am referring to is from the organization itself.

General manager George McPhee is one of the best in the business, bar none.  He has a vision for the club and it doesn't waiver no matter how intense the pressure is.  He sticks to his guns and follows through on his plan.

Everyone wanted Bruce Boudreau fired.  Some wanted them to go out and acquire a veteran netminder.  Others cried out for a bona fide second-line center.

George McPhee scoffed at all of the above.  Will Bruce get fired?  Probably.  Does it mean he did a bad job?  Absolutely not.  One could even make the argument that he should have been nominated for the coach of the year the way he transformed the team.

They stuck behind Michal Neuvirth and Sergei Varlamov and it turned out to be a great non-move by the Caps.  Neuvirth definitely wasn't the reason they were swept in round two and now he has great experience under his belt going forward.

The same can be said about Marcus Johansson.  They didn't know if he would step up to fill the second-line center role this year or if it would be someone like Mathieu Perreualt, but it turned out to be a great move sticking with the kids, as Johansson even replaced Backstrom on the top line in critical situations this year.

With McPhee at the helm, this organization is still in great hands.

2: Youth

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

BUFFALO, NY - NOVEMBER 13: Karl Alzner #27 and John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals celebrate Alzner's goal in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena on November 13, 2010 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Image

Not many teams draft and develop players as well as Washington.  They have budding young stars up and down the lineup.  Their scouting department is second to maybe Detroit, and they cultivate their youth in Hershey with great success.

Guys like Neuvirth, Braden Holtby, Johansson, Carlson and Alzner have become cornerstone players for this organization in a very short period of time.  None of them are going anywhere anytime soon and it has allowed the team to retool on the fly.

There is no Chicago Blackhawks syndrome in this town.  They can ice a team that can compete for the cup today while maintaining a steady stream of younger and cheaper talent in the pipeline for the battles of tomorrow.

Prospects such as Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitri Orlov are just around the corner waiting to make this club even more deadly than it already is.

This is not an overpriced old team, and the rest of the East will continue to play catch up long into the future.

1: Status Quo

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 14: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals stands on the ice during the National Anthem before the NHL game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena on February 14, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Peter

Okay, so many will say the proof is in the pudding.  It is true they bowed out of this year's playoff in dramatically bad fashion.  There's no denying that something was missing from this club and that Boudreau will likely be the fall guy because of it. 

Sometimes that is just the price of doing business. 

Yet, that doesn't mean that there is anything in particularly wrong with the current lineup.  Another playoff exit is disappointing to Cap Nation, but these setbacks are just speed bumps along the path to the promised land. 

All an owner or general manager can do is use all the resources in their power to put the team in a position to win.  They cannot control injuries, puck luck or momentum swings.  Sometimes good teams just lose and it's not the fault of anyone or anything.

The fact is that this organization is poised to make a serious cup run year in and year out.  That is what happens when you have stability, leadership, talent and promising youth.  There might be a new coach directing the ship next season, but he will walk into one of the best situations that the league has to offer.

It is also possible that Boudreau is back for one more year—and that wouldn't be a bad thing.  The status quo is a winning formula, and it is only a matter of time before things go their way and the cream rises to the top. 

And all of this will seem like a distant memory.