Craig Custance: It's all about matchups and health. The team I'd be watching closely if I were a Capitals fan is the Tampa Bay Lightning. I'd be cheering against them as much as I'm cheering for the Capitals. The last thing the Capitals need is the Lightning sneaking into the playoffs in the final playoff spot and with Steven Stamkos returning to health. That would likely mean the Capitals would have to go through both the Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins before even getting to the conference finals. That's a gauntlet. Even so, if the Capitals are healthy, they should be able to beat anyone in the East but a break in the first round would go a long way in paving the road for a trip to the Stanley Cup finals.
Morning roundtable: Stanley Cup hopes of the Capitals hinge on Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov
