INSIDE HOCKEY

What began as a brilliant season for the Washington Capitals ended as so many others have for the franchise: with a playoff loss to its biggest nemesis, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Since 1991, the teams have met eight times in the postseason, and the Capitals have lost seven of them, usually in frustrating fashion. In four of its seven losses to Pittsburgh, Washington has jumped out to either a 2-0 or 3-1 lead in the series, only to see the Penguins prevail in the end.

This one might have been the most frustrating loss yet, for three reasons. First, the Capitals had one of their best teams ever this year. Second, Washington finally won an elimination game in Pittsburgh, only to forget to show up at home in Game 7. Third, the Capitals now have to watch their biggest rival play for hockey’s greatest prize, again.

So, how can the Capitals get to where the Penguins are now? Just as importantly, how can the Capitals overcome the Penguins themselves, the two-time Eastern Conference champions that are sure to stand in the Capitals’ path again next year?

The first thing they have to do is solve the mystery between the pipes. It’s no secret that goaltending is how you win in April and May. History is littered with teams who have ridden a hot goaltender as far as he can take them, like the Anaheim Ducks did in 2003 with Jean-Sebastién Giguere, almost winning the Stanley Cup. It’s also littered with teams who tried to overcome a weak goaltender and could not.

This Capitals team was firmly in the latter category until promoting Simeon Varlamov in their series against the New York Rangers. Varlamov ignited the Capitals and turned a sure defeat against the Rangers into a thrilling comeback win in seven games. Plus, Washington was a more confident team with Varlamov in the net instead of Jose Theodore, who is clearly not the answer the Capitals were looking for when they signed him.

But is Varlamov? Remember, he’s only 21 years old, and if you include the playoffs, his NHL career spans all of 19 games. It’s a very risky move, especially for a team that has Stanley Cup dreams next year. A goalie at this age can either rise to the occasion and make his team better, or wilt under the pressure. Carolina’s Cam Ward has been nothing short of fantastic for the Hurricanes, but Montreal’s Carey Price has struggled with expectations of Canadiens fans. Fortunately for Varlamov, Caps fans are passionate, but nowhere near as intense as Habs fans.

Still, a team with a goalie this young needs a veteran in case things go haywire. Michal Neuvirth is promising, but has even less experience. The problem is Theodore is owed $4.5 million next season, and it will be hard to find a taker for that contract. Ideally, they deal Theodore for a defenseman and keep Brent Johnson as a stabilizer. At under $1 million a year, Johnson is ideal for the role. But the Caps can’t pay four goalies and have the money to fill other holes. Either Johnson or Theodore will not be back next year.

What else do the Capitals need? How about defense? Everyone knows about how good Mike Green is, but the Caps need a guy who isn’t a scorer first on their blue line. They do get Brian Pothier back after concussions kept him out for much of the last two years, but the Caps really need a guy who’s tough, plays physical hockey and genuinely makes life tough for the skilled forwards that are so abundant in the Eastern Conference.

If he’s healthy, they need a guy like Anaheim’s Francois Beauchemin.

Beauchemin is coming off a torn ACL, which caused him to miss 63 Ducks games this year. He returned to play in all 13 Anaheim playoff games, and had fairly typical stats. He plays the physical hockey Anaheim is known for, and he’s from eastern Canada and might be open to the chance to play in the Eastern Conference.

If they can’t afford Beauchemin, who could command a high salary on the open market, other options include Boston’s Steve Montador or Philadelphia’s Andrew Alberts. Both are punishers, both are relatively young (under 30) and neither is that expensive. Alberts made $1.4 million and probably won’t go much higher than that. Montador was even cheaper, making $800,000. Montador is also a former Duck, underscoring that he's no stranger to physical hockey. Of course, the big young name on defense in free agency is Florida’s Jay Bouwmeester, but he isn’t physical and Washington probably couldn’t afford him anyway.

Finally, in terms of forwards, the Caps are dealing from strength here. Alex Ovechkin is the best in the game, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin are quality complements and Brooks Laich had a breakout season. But Viktor Kozlov is leaving for Russia, and Sergei Federov might do the same. It’d be a big plus for Washington to sign one more forward, someone who can score and someone the Caps can get without overpaying.

The only problem with that is that scorers command a premium. Petr Sykora might be Washington’s best option, but even he’ll be hard not to overpay.

The Capitals don’t need much to contend for a title, but there are definitely holes to fill. What they do this offseason will have a lot to do with whether the next season is what Washington fans have waited 36 years for…or just another year of frustration.