Effort is Not Talent-Dependent

Many have argued that the Caps are one of the most talented teams in the league. But there's been one thing missing that separates them from Detroit and Pittsburgh, the last two Stanley Cup champions: consistent 60-minute efforts. Courtesy of the Washington Times' Corey Masisak, the Caps have held the lead in the third period and lost it in 10 of their 23 games. They are 5-5 in those games.

On top of that, the Caps have held a lead at some point in every game they've played this year. So getting a lead isn't the problem; it's keeping it that's befuddled them.

What frustrates Coach Bruce Boudreau the most, though, is that he had to fight for everything in his career. He never was handed a spot in the NHL or any trophies. He had to earn everything -- something that doesn't apply to many of the Caps' uber-talented youngsters. They've been stars from day one and sometimes don't fight for everything. Maybe that's why Gabby has such an affinity for the kids called up from Hershey: because they remind him of a young Boudreau.

The knock on minor leaguers, though, is that they don't have the talent to stay in the NHL (for the most part). So that means that Gabby and the staff have to continually adjust their methods to make sure the team keeps playing no matter what the score.

If it's 3-1, make it 4-1. If it's tied, get the lead. If you're behind, turn it up a notch. The Caps try to bust out in the first two periods and then coast for the last 20-30 minutes. That's not going to fly in the playoffs, as we've seen the last two postseasons.

It's time for the Caps to play every game like it's a game seven (the one exception aside) and learn from the Stanley Cup champs. There's no other way.