Caps bow out

The Washington Capitals season has ended. The Caps bowed out in Game 7 with a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers tonight.

The Caps managed just one goal in the third period from defenseman Roman Hamrlik. That was it. The Capitals now head to the off-season with many questions to be answered. Questions like the future of Alexander Semin and Mike Green. A battle in met between playoff star Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth, who likely won't stay on the side quietly. Many other roster questions lie ahead as the Capitals try and find answers on how to go pass the second round of the playoffs.

It was a heckuva series. Just like the Caps seven game win over the Boston Bruins in round one, this series was full of intensity, energy, and low scoring battles. In other words, Dale Hunter style hockey. We witnessed a team in transition, a team that suddenly found themselves buying into Hunter style play.

No doubt, at least from this writers' opinion, Dale Hunter deserves to bring the Capitals to the ice in 2012-13 season. It will be up to GM George McPhee to find additional pieces that fit the Hunter style of play and move on from players that don't. It promises to be an active off-season. That off-season hits in earnest on June 22 and June 23 with the NHL Draft in which the Capitals have two first draft selections, #11 obtained from Colorado for G Semyon Varlamov, and their own first round pick. No better place to get psyched for that than in our very own NHL MOCK DRAFT DATABASE