Insert cliche here.
"Two best words in sport: GAME SEVEN"
"Winner take all"
"Seminal moment"
"Do or die"
It would take me longer to write out all the shitty colloquialisms used for an elimination game than this post. Instead, I'll just give you my thoughts on this upcoming match up.
This series has caused me to waffle considerably. When the Washington Capitals stormed out to an early 2-0 series lead, it appeared that having Pittsburgh in the rear view was the catalyst needed to propel Ovi and crew to their first Cup Final berth since '97-'98. Then Tampa Bay decided they wanted to make things interesting and stole the next three games and it seemed as though the Caps were fated to piss away a 2-0 lead, as is tradition. But something happened in game 6; Washington came out with resolve and determination which had been absent for so many years and came away victorious, forcing a game 7 on the back of a Braden Holtby shutout.
Which brings us to now.
Washington have carried the play throughout this series, in a demonstrative way. Other than a handful of periods, Tampa has done little to prove they can match the intensity of the Caps. But they haven't had to. They are clearly more talented. Which begs the question; will talent triumph over tenacity? My money is on tenacity. Something about this D.C. area team is different. The biggest of those difference being their success without Holtby standing on his head and stealing games, which had been the formula under different iterations of the club. The fact that the net minder hadn't recorded a shutout this entire season until game 6 is STUNNING! It shows that their able to get by without leaning heavily on a former Vezina winner and that said player may be on the front of a heater. If that is the case, Washington has a date with Vegas on the horizon.
If not, then I'll just look like a colossal dumbass for picking Ovi and his mates. All will be decided tonight though and I cannot wait!