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Of all the ways the Washington Capitals have tried to win in the playoffs http://www.saintsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-marcus-davenport-jersey , none has been as effective as this.

They pushed the pace with speed and skill when Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom were part of the ”Young Guns.” They made every game a coin flip with tight, Dale Hunter hockey. Each time, an early exit followed.

This year is different. Suddenly, the Capitals are a suffocating defensive team that clogs the middle of the ice and makes even the fastest of opponents look slow.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the latest to get frustrated by Washington’s neutral-zone pressure that took a toll on Columbus, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, paving the way for this run to the Stanley Cup Final. After cruising through three rounds with ease, nothing looks easy right now for Vegas because the Capitals have mastered the art of frustration, and are two wins away from hoisting the Cup for the first time.

”Offensive teams have certain tendencies, certain routes that they take through the neutral zone, plays they like to make, so if you can be on top of them and turn over some pucks, stifle them, make it hard for them to gain entry with possession, that frustrates skilled players,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said Sunday. ”If you can be in their face http://www.titansauthorizedshops.com/authentic-harold-landry-jersey , just standing in the way, it’s amazing what that does.”

It’s amazing the transformation the Capitals have made since coach Barry Trotz challenged players late in the regular season to embrace this approach. It was clear as early as Game 4 of the first round that the 1-1-3 trap in the neutral zone had the ability to essentially shut down the opposing attack, and since the first two playoff games Washington is 10-2 when scoring first.

The Golden Knights have found how difficult it is to try to come back against the Capitals and need to adjust quickly down 2-1 in the Cup Final going into Game 4 Monday night. They have to make some adjustments before it’s too late.

”Our guys who have a lot of speed can go back deeper, gather some speed,” winger David Perron said. ”Then the defensemen can try to freeze the first forechecker, kick it wide. These guys coming with speed, if they’re confronted, which they will be most times at the blue line, you can put it in and go on the forecheck. You can have guys hang close to the right wing or up top, and as the puck is coming your way, win the one-on-one battle with support. … We also have to try to not let them set up, so if there’s a turnover, a quick one, we can punt it up, go back on offense.”

The Penguins and Lightning tried that and couldn’t crack the Capitals well enough to advance.

”They’re really good at slowing you down Authentic James Washington Jersey ,” Lightning forward J.T. Miller said during the Eastern Conference final. ”Right when you want to just chip it and go, there’s a guy, there’s a wall there, and guys are ready to go back and get it on the other side. … It’s just their ability to stand up and make you force plays because it looks like there’s more ice than there is, and then all of a sudden they do a good job of staying in front and retrieving pucks.”

Vegas is built on speed, but it’s hard to harness it if players can’t get blue line to blue line with the puck to create any offense. When the Capitals took a lead in Game 3, they went into their now-patented scheme.

”It’s just kind of a group mentality to make life difficult on them,” winger Tom Wilson said. ”I think that’s when we’re at our best as a team is when we’re playing physical, we’re taking away time and space, making it difficult on their top guys.”

That difficulty wears on a team, and Trotz said it’s noticeable when an opponent tries to change its game and manage the puck differently to counterbalance the trap. When it works effectively, not only does it limit changes against, but it creates the kind of odd-man rushes that have paced Washington’s offense this postseason.

”It’s important to recognize moments when you can pressure, and we don’t want to get away from that, where we can send two guys and try to force teams into mistakes Youth Denzel Ward Jersey ,” Niskanen said. ”If you can hold either the red line or the blue line with layers of support, you can force teams into turnovers, and we’ve done a good job of that.”

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More Stanley Cup coverage: 鈥?James Harrison is headed back to the Super Bowl.And he says the only thing he’s focused on is winning a third championship.Everything else is secondary for the 39-year-old Patriots linebacker, who is thriving in his new role with the team that was once his rival.“That’s the goal. To win the Lombardi (Trophy). There’s only one winner,” Harrison said as he prepared to make his first trip to the Super Bowl since the 2008 season, when he captured his second ring with Pittsburgh.He’s done talking about his abrupt departure from the Steelers last month and the suggestions from his former teammates that it was Harrison who asked to be released after complaints about playing time.In a lengthy post on Instagram days after joining the Patriots, Harrison responded directly to his critics, writing: “If anybody thought I signed a two-year deal with a team in the NFL at age 39 to sit on the bench and collect a check and a participation trophy, they’re mistaken. I didn’t sign up to sit on the bench and be a cheerleader.”What’s not in dispute is that Harrison’s playing time decreased significantly this season with the Steelers.The Steelers’ sack leader with 80陆 in 14 seasons in Pittsburgh, Harrison appeared in just five games and played a total of 38 snaps for them this season. He had only one sack. His five appearances were his fewest since his first season in Pittsburgh in 2002.After being released on Dec. 23, Harrison signed with New England in time to play in the Patriots’ regular-season finale against the Jets. He had three tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in his debut.In one regular season and two playoffs games with the Patriots, he’s already been on the field for 89 snaps.“I’m doing whatever they ask me to do,” Harrison said. “I’m getting more snaps than I had (in Pittsburgh), and I like that.”As to whether he has something to prove at this point in his career Dante Pettis Youth Jersey , he said that has always been his mindset.“Anything people say I can’t do, I want to prove them wrong,” Harrison said.He says it would be impossible for him to feel truly acclimated after just three games, but he has an appreciation for the way the Patriots approach things.Safety Devin McCourty said Harrison’s work ethic has been noticeable.“I think younger guys, a lot of younger guys on the team compared to him, can learn from him,” McCourty said. “I think we all saw that from Day 1 when he came in here bright and early getting whatever he needs done.”Coach Bill Belichick praised Harrison’s ability to handle the different things they’ve asked of him.“This guy is a professional. He’s into football. He’s into his job and wants to do it well,” Belichick said. “I, 100 percent totally respect that. That’s what you want from everybody.”Harrison started at outside linebacker in the AFC title game against Jacksonville and is in line to start again alongside Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts against the Eagles.Whatever happens, Harrison is secure in the decisions he’s made.“It feels good, but like I’ve said before, this is all God’s plan,” he said. “This is all his doing. I’m just reaping the benefits of it right now.”.