Capitals Show They Have Heart

Ding, dong the witch is dead--and so is the Washington Capitals’ playoff jinx.

Coach Ron Wilson, who used the movie “The Wizard of Oz” to motivate the Mighty Ducks when he coached them to the second round of the playoffs last spring, is using Dorothy’s journey to the Emerald City to inspire his new team.

Wilson challenged his players to confront the club’s history of postseason flops--which included squandering three 3-1 series leads--and they responded with a six-game victory over the Boston Bruins. This is the first time since 1994 and only the second time in seven seasons the Capitals have made it to the second round.

“I said it was time someone stole the broomstick of the wicked witch,” said Wilson, who was hired to replace Jim Schoenfeld after the Capitals missed the playoffs last season. “You need to know your demon. Spit right in his eye. As far as I’m concerned, you just face the subject and attack it.”

After a succession of first-round upsets, the Capitals are the highest-seeded team remaining in the East. “Obviously, it’s a surprise. Everybody around the country is surprised at the teams that went out,” Capital center Adam Oates said. “By no means do we think our season is over because we got rid of the ghosts. We’re in good position. Our mission is not done, and it’s time to jack it up for another series.”

The Capitals will open the first Eastern Conference semifinal tonight at the MCI Center against the Ottawa Senators, who upset the top-seeded but stale New Jersey Devils.

“I hope we’re the underdogs; we seem to do well in that role,” Ottawa forward Bruce Gardiner said. “The Devils series did a lot for everyone’s confidence. Hopefully, people are seeing we’re a good team. But any success we’ve had is behind us. We’re not overconfident or cocky. We won’t be taking anybody lightly.”

Ottawa has won seven of the last eight games against Washington over the last two seasons. However, Ron Tugnutt was the Senators’ goalie in all of those games, and he since has been supplanted by Damian Rhodes, who was exceptional against New Jersey.

Left wing Shawn McEachern said the Senators will stick to the formula they used against New Jersey. That means lots of speed, a neutral-zone trap that’s less stifling than the Devils’, and disciplined defensive play.

“We’re not confident because of our record against them, we’re confident because of the way we’re playing,” McEachern said. “With Adam Oates and Peter Bondra and all their scoring, they’re more dangerous than New Jersey.”

In the first Western semifinal, the battered Dallas Stars will face the Edmonton Oilers, who have had little time to catch their breath after upsetting the Colorado Avalanche in an emotional seven-game series.

Although the Oilers’ triumph was considered surprising, Coach Ron Low doesn’t think it was a fluke. “Now I have the feeling that there is a chance to accomplish something else,” he said.

Said center Scott Fraser: “They’re definitely the favorite, but we like the role of the underdog.”

Dallas Coach Ken Hitchcock sees it differently. Without Joe Nieuwendyk (knee), Greg Adams (neck) and Jere Lehtinen (knee), the Stars’ depth will be severely tested. At the very least, the 29-point gap that separated the Stars and Oilers this season will be narrowed. “I think the favorite status went out the window with injuries to Nieuwendyk and some other people,” Hitchcock said.

Dallas, seeded first in the West, lost to Edmonton in the first round last spring, but the Stars are eager for a rematch. “It really gives us a chance to redeem ourselves, to beat them,” right wing Pat Verbeek said. “The monkey is off our back, but we still feel we’ve got a lot to prove.”

Montreal will be at Buffalo and St. Louis will be at Detroit in the other conference semifinals, which will start Friday.