Capitals in Game 7 Form in Loss to Canucks

Back in 2014, it was hard not to feel for Henrik Lundqvist.

He'd led a New York Rangers club to the Stanley Cup finals on the strength of solid defense and a near religious devotion to assignments.

The Los Angeles Kings, however, were the better team with a deeper roster. It showed., and King Henrik's best shot at a ring had come and gone.

Now, it's hard not to wonder if last season's fizzle was when Alex Ovechkin's best shot had come and gone.

The Washington Capitals went all-in with their salary cap chips for that run. How they didn't break through is almost enough to believe there is a sporting black cloud hovering perennially over DC.

The Vancouver Canucks were coming off an impressive 4-1 road trip when the Caps sputtered into Lotusland with their 4-5-1 record in tow.

It's amazing enough that the Nux were on a roll. It's ironic that this made them the last team Washington needed to face. They haven't made the transition from wide-open to grinder yet. Toss in injury and illness, and it added up to a 6-2 Vancouver victory:

Basically, that was all Nux, all the time.

This clearly wasn't a marquée game on the NHL calendar, but it served as a useful marker for one club with a roster that's accepted its roles and another that's struggling to adjust to them.