An almost joyous mood proliferated through the Washington Capitals’ dressing room on Sunday night, even though the team had just lost its regular-season finale to the Anaheim Ducks.
For weeks, the Capitals had shifted into cruise control, coasting into the postseason on their plaudits. They had tried to manufacture some semblance of urgency — frequently a desire to work on one aspect of their game or another — and, in the last two weeks, galvanized around goaltender Braden Holtby’s pursuit of the all-time wins record.
“The season feels like it flew by in general, but it’s been a while since we’ve had a real must-win game,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said, not long after a 2-0 loss to the Ducks in which four top players rested.