This perplexing team

I don't know what to think about this team anymore.  There are things I thought would change in the Dale Hunter era that haven't.  Caps playing with intensity is one of them. One of the reasons long time Caps fan love Dale is that he was a fierce, competitive player.

Tonight, the Caps played the Florida Panthers for first place in the division.  And, how did the Caps respond to that challenge? By playing lackluster, not competitive, hockey.  They played like they didn't even care.  And, no, I have no desire to hear the excuses - injuries, tough schedule, second night of a back-to-back series - because all hockey teams suffer the same thing.  Only the Caps lean on excuses like a crutch.

Other things that perplex me:

• Why are the Caps incapable of bringing the puck up the ice?  The amount of time they spent in their defensive zone tonight because they can't get the puck out was abysmal.  They kept tossing the puck to Florida in the neutral zone and turning it over.  If I remember correctly, the Caps transition game was a bit better, shortly after Dale arrived, as I know he focused on that.  It's regressed.
• Is "dump and don't chase" an effective hockey strategy?  I understand it happens when you need a line change, but there's far too much of that going on in Caps games.
• Is there any team that takes more delay of game penalties? That's a rhetorical question because, like the Caps, I'm too lazy to look it up.  But, there's no doubt that they take way too many of those stupid penalties.
• Have you ever seen a hockey team get a too many men on the ice penalty with seven men on the ice?  If you're a Caps fan, these are the things you get to see when you root for this team.
• Why does this team suck so bad on the road?  Lack of toughness seems to be a major part of that.  Thanks GMGM.

The sky isn't falling yet and there are lots of positive things going on with this team.  But, right now, I have Caps disappointment fatigue and I'm not in the mood to be a cheering fan tonight.

Montreal on Saturday.

Let's go Caps!