We've already discussed Alex Ovechkin's comments after the Washington Capitals departed from the playoffs in the first round. In our article, we highlighted that Ovechkin and his teammates would be better off not making excuses and should instead take responsibility for their actions.
As it turns out, New York Rangers coach John Tortorella wasn't a fan of Washington's comments either. In an article seen in the New York Daily News, Tortorella accused the Capitals of whining and he believes that's one of the reasons why they lost the series.
Blunt comments from Tortorella. Who would have thought?
“I like where our team is as far as how they handle themselves. We’ve got everybody and their brother whining up there in Washington about what happened in that series, and I think that’s a big reason why they lose that series. So I just think our mind-set is very good, as far as not letting anything bother us. (We’re) just getting ready to play each day: Play the game, practice the next day and just go about our business.”
There's a lot of truth in Tortorella's statements above. Washington appeared to pack it in after Game 6, focusing more on what went wrong and on conspiracy theories rather than stepping up and finishing out the series. You can be unhappy with the officiating, but you should also take responsibility for your actions, especially when those actions end up resulting in a 5-0 beating in Game 7.
