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Capitals don’t really need Ovechkin after all.

I know that everyone -- well, everyone in Washington -- is upset about Alex Ovechkin being forced to miss two games after being suspended by the evil Colin Campbell. I don’t think the Capitals have anything to worry about after destroying the Florida Panthers 7-3. I know that beating Florida isn’t exactly a great accomplishment, but chasing Tomas Vokoun isn’t exactly happening on a nightly basis.

The Capitals had something to prove tonight, it seems, that they can get by without Ovechkin and that they’ll tech the NHL a lesson for throwing their captain under the bus. I’m sure that’s not exactly what the players were thinking, but the Caps certainly played with a chip on their shoulder. Says J.P. of Japers’ Rink:

In the nine games that the Caps have played this season without the two-time reigning League Most Valuable Player, they’re now 7-2-0 after a 7-3 win Tuesday night in Sunrise. Impressive.

Every bit as impressive is how they’ve played in those games, piling up the goals in the absence of the League’s best goal-scorer to the tune of 4.78 per game (three times scoring at least seven goals in a game) and a scorching 41.7% efficiency on the power play. They’ve also allowed just 2.67 goals per game in those nine and have killed off 81.5% of their shorthanded opportunities. Just a reminder to the rest of the NHL: this is not a one-man team.

Suspending Alex Ovechkin is not exactly the worst thing to happen to the Washington Capitals. In fact, it may make them a much more dangerous team. They’ve learned that they don’t need Ovechkin to win and score goals in bunches, which adds even more confidence to an already-confident team.

Hmm. Maybe Ovechkin really isn’t needed. The Capitals weren’t playing very well before he was tossed against Chicago, and the Capitals then stormed back from a three-goal deficit. Then they destroy one of the NHL’s best goaltenders without him. Is it best if Ovechkin takes a diminished role with the team?

Naw.