NHL Twitter reacts as Washington Capitals are eliminated from playoff contention -"Rebuild will be rough"

The Washington Capitals (34-34-9)'s quest to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this year has ended.

That became certain after the Florida Panthers (40-31-7) beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on Tuesday, moving them atop the Eastern Wild Card Standings with 87 points. The Caps will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014, ending an eight-year streak.

"The Washington Capitals have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. This will be the first year without the Caps in the postseason since 2014."-@BR_Openice

Soon after learning that the Capitals would not make the playoffs this year, Washington Capitals fans expressed their disappointment on Twitter, resulting in mixed reactions. One said:

"At least that group got a cup. That and Ovi breaking the record in a couple years will be enough pride to last a decade. Rebuild will be rough, though."

Here are some of the top reactions from Caps fans:

One fan wrote:

The Washington Capitals (8) are tied second with the Nashville Predators for the league's longest playoff streak. The Pittsburgh Penguins (16) have the longest playoff streak.

---

What factors contributed to Washington Capitals' failure this season?

The Washington Capital

One of the primary reasons for the Caps' failure this season was the absence of key players from their roster due to long-term injuries. This is the team's second straight season without a healthy roster.

Forwards Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, as well as defenseman John Carlson, are among the key players for the Capitals. They have been out with long-term injuries, which have impacted the Caps' performances.

Lack of inconsistency is another reason which can be attributed to injuries on the Caps' roster. Coming into 2023, the Capitals have only won two games in a row.. They last won five straight games in December, the month that defenseman John Carlson was injured. The Caps have struggled to maintain a winning streak since his absence.

With no depth in the blue line, the Caps have struggled to keep the opposition out, conceding the opening goal in 44 of their 77 games. In terms of their offensive line, Alex Ovechkin leads in scoring with 73 points (42 goals and 31 assists) in 77 games.

The Capitals now have five games remaining before their campaign wraps up on April 13 against the New Jersey Devils.