(John McDonnell/The Washington Post)The Washington Capitals were down, clearly outplayed in the second period, but as Evgeny Kuznetsov looked around the locker room during the second intermission, he loved what he saw. When the team returned to the locker room after the game, players said their “belief” in each other never wavered. As they did throughout the season, the Capitals have endured the bumps and pressed onward. It was fair to wonder whether Washington’s playoff hopes would survive the early-season injuries after the Capitals had been the league’s healthiest team the year before. In the visiting locker room after the loss to the Avalanche, Trotz tore into his team and called some players out by name.

Source: Washington Post May 06, 2018 22:22 UTC