Shocker in Nation's Capital

Quick. What was the biggest sports story from yesterday?

I already gave my answer away by my headline, but did you think it was the Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant issue? It's created quite a buzz. How about the Milwaukee Bucks making an 18-5 run to steal Game 5 from the Atlanta Hawks...in Atlanta? Big story, but not the biggest. LeBron and his elbow? It is if your a Cavaliers fan. Changes in MLB's All-Star Game? Not even close.

Halak and Ovi after Habs take Game 7.

Undoubtedly it has to be the Montreal Canadiens winning Game 7 on the road and advancing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But why is this my big story?

Is it because Game 7's are always big? Is it because the Canadiens were the #8 seed? Is it because the Caps compiled the most points during the regular season? Maybe it was on the road?

Nope. None of those. What makes this HUGE is that the President's Trophy winner had a commanding 3-1 series lead...and let it slip away. Then, take your progression through the above list of the Habs being the #8 seed, etc., etc. All the Caps had to do was win one of the last three games in the series and they would advance to take on the Philadelphia Flyers. One thing stood in their way. A very big "thing".

That would be Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak. After splitting time through the regular season with Carey Price, the 24-year-old Slovakian performed masterfully against the NHL's top scoring team and relegating Price to the position of observer. In Halak's six games of the series, he managed 231 saves. That's an average of just over 38 saves a game. For the whole series, Canadiens goalies faced an average of 41.7 shots a game. Target practice, firing range. All apply here. In the last three games of the series, the least amount of shots Halak faced was 37. I think we all know why the Canadiens won. Well, at least we know a major reason why they won.

Forget the fact that the Washington Capitals were held almost 1.5 goals less per game during the series due to Halak's heroics. What about all that offense? Where was it? Especially on the power play? The Caps led the NHL with a 25.2% for the regular season while the Canadiens were 2nd at 21.8%. For this series, a paltry 3.0%. All that firepower with Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. Only Ovi (10) and Backstrom (9) managed to score more than a point a game. Semin was held to two assists and Green could only muster three helpers.

The Capitals may be constructing a reputation they would rather not be building, blowing Game 7's. In their last four series, the Caps have been pressed to a seventh game. Their series record: 1-3. In a lot of circles, any team with that record would be deemed as no less than a choke artist.

Any takers?