“They weren’t even supposed to be there.”
That’s been a common refrain among Capitals fans since the minute the final horn sounded on a rather rude 4-0 series loss handed to the team last night by the Rangers. And it does, for the most part, serve as some sort of comfort – because it’s true. This team, as constructed, as remained by mid-April, was really not supposed to be there. Even as they were making that final push to snag a playoff spot, it didn’t feel real, feel possible, that the 2023-24 Washington Capitals were headed for the postseason.