Yeah, it's probably tougher for Jackets fans especially since the third game went to double OT. Had Jackets scored then they'd have been up 3-0 and Capitals are probably done. Still, Game 5 also went to OT and, again, if the Jackets score then they are up 3-2 in the series. On the flip side, had Capitals won the first two games in Overtime then maybe it would have been a sweep and not a six game series. Still, to have 4 games in OT shows the Jackets were close but since Capitals had 2 victories by a 3 goal margin they were still the better team.
That said, this Penguins/Capitals match-up could be a tough series even though most people have been writing off the Capitals and this match-up since the playoffs began. Ovechkin told the media the Capitals would come back to Washington tied at 2 after they lost the first two and the team came through. I highly doubt the players on that team want to lost to Pittsburgh for the third year in a row. Right now, Malkin is sidelined for who knows how long and Hagelin was also injured so that's 2/3 of the second line currently injured. If there's another injury for the Pens, that could weaken their offence or defense a bit more. Of course, it's possible that Malkin and/or Hagelin can recover for the start of or soon into the series and they're back to full strength.
Do I think the Capitals will do it? Not really. Their best chance was probably last year and they couldn't pull off. Capitals had leads and lost them in Games 1, 2, 3, and 5. In Game 5, the Blue Jackets crumpled them in the third period but were only able to score one goal to tie it and take it into overtime. This was after the Capitals were able to even the series 2-2 and were in real danger of falling behind to the Jackets again if they had been able to score that go-ahead goal in the third or overtime. Capitals have some good talent on the team but they don't have the sort-of gamebreakers the Pens have been fortunate to accrue over the past couple years and who have the postseason success of now winning a couple Stanley Cups. I do feel bad about Ovechkin because the guy is stuck in a cruel postseason joke of not even getting a chance to play in a Conference Final but the Capitals have been unable to find the right combination of players that could succeed in the match-ups they've faced.
Still, I'm actually rather interested in all the second round match-ups this year and that's pretty rare. Obviously, I'll be watching all of Capitals/Penguins. The Vegas Knights are appealing to me because of Fleury and since Vegas is new I've really got no hard feelings against them or their fans. Seeing them succeed so much is kind of funny as well when you think of teams like the Oilers, Coyotes, Panthers or even the Blue Jackets who still haven't won a playoff series through all their years of existence but Vegas has and they swept the series to boot!
Jets and Predators are the top two teams in the league already facing each other which is kind of messed up that it is happening in the second round like that. That said, there's no guarantee that they would have both still been around for the conference final if this was the old playoff seeding. There have been a lot of upsets to a number one or two seed in the playoffs in the old format. However, this year, with the teams that have made the playoffs in the west, I don't think there are any teams that would have upset them and prevented a match-up in the Conference Finals. Of course, that theory will be put to the test when the winner faces the remaining Pacific team for the Conference Final but, for now, I think whoever wins this series is going to the Stanley Cup Final.
And there's Tampa versus some team. Either Boston or Toronto and this is very much a bit like the Jets/Preds series. If it is Boston then it is the top two Eastern teams facing each other in the second round and if it is Toronto then it is like the first and third best team. Personally, I'd prefer if it was the Maple Leafs that make it to this match-up but it should be another hard fought series either way. There is a bit of intrigue to all these series. Looking forward to it but for now it's waiting for about 3 - 4 days until that happens.