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#BudsFeed: 13 Reasons Why The Leafs Will Beat The Caps

Photo credit: Dan Hamilton / USA TODAY Sports

By Bobby Cappuccino

Apr 13, 2017, 09:30 EDTUpdated: Apr 12, 2017, 23:40 EDT

Comments

1. Washington’s Best Players are Euros

Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Kuznetsov are Washington’s headliners. And if there is one thing that will always be true, it’s that Euros won’t win you a Cup.

2. Skill Gets You Nowhere in the Playoffs

Washington has a lot of skill. Cool. When was the last time that won a team the Cup? The Caps won’t be able to handle Boyle, Martin, Polak, and Kadri. #Grit

3. The Caps are Chokers

For all of their success in the regular season, the only legacy this Washington core has is choking in the playoffs. When the going gets tough, Ovi and co disappear.

4. The Leafs are Young

Young people are better than old people. They have more energy, and the naivety the youth of the Leafs have will allow them to just play hockey and not worry about the big stage.

5. Toronto’s game has improved as the season has gone on

The last 1/4 of the season was the best that the Leafs put together. They’re rolling into the playoffs.

Meanwhile…

6. Toronto is in Canada

Hockey is Canada’s game.

7. Ovechkin is overpaid

Alexander Ovechkin makes $10 million per year, which is a huge overpayment for his output. This mentally affects his teammates who wonder “why does he get paid so much more than me” creating resentment in the dressing room.

8. Three of Washington’s Best Players are about to be UFAs

T.J. Oshie, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Karl Alzner will be free agents on July 1st, which means they’re going to be playing a “me-first” kind of game to get a big payday. This bodes poorly because to win in the playoffs you have to play like a team.

9. Matt Martin

10. Too Many Languages Being Spoken in the Caps Dressing Room

Russian, Danish, German, Czech, Swedish, American. That’s too many languages. The Capitals will have a communication problem on the ice.

11. The Shattenkirk trade ruined the Caps

Stats don’t lie.

12. Ovechkin isn’t Crosby

It’s just fact. Crosby is better.

13. This is Washington’s last Chance

This is the last time this core will all play together. In addition to the pressure that poses, it also makes the players sad. And as they say: “when you’re sad, you play bad.”