Losing hurts—but getting shut out in a 7–0 shellacking? That one stings a little different. Just the other night, Jet Greaves threw an absolute party in the crease, snagging 21 saves for his first-ever NHL shutout as the Columbus Blue Jackets steamrolled the Washington Capitals in a win so loud, it echoed across the East. Columbus lit the lamp early and often—Werenski opened the floodgates just one minute in, Johnson slid in a smooth one next, and Fantilli doubled down with two beauties that had fans on their feet. The Jackets were up 3-0 before the Caps even caught their breath, and by the time van Riemsdyk sealed it with a late third-period dagger?

It was already lights out. But here’s where things got extra spicy. While fans were busy gasping at the scoreboard, many couldn’t help but notice the broadcast vibes were… well, off. Real off. So much so that an NHL commentator has now come forward with an apology after Washington Capitals’ on-air coverage took a nosedive during the beatdown.

Ray Ferraro, NHL analyst and ESPN voice up in the booth, had a lil’ moment of honesty mid-flight back from Columbus. He hopped on X and dropped a note that gave fans a pause, saying, “On the flight back home from Columbus, thinking about the @Capitals day, I should’ve been more mindful of last game of last year, @EdmontonOilers lost 7-0 at Colorado. Nothing to play for and it showed. And they went to the finals. A miss by me.”

Big yikes, but hey—owning up like that? Kinda rare in the hockey world, so props where they’re due. But man, Washington Capitals’ fans didn’t hold back. One straight-up called out the energy Ferraro brings to the mic, saying, “TBH, it seems like whenever you do a national broadcast of a Caps game, there is an anti Caps bias in the tone of your voice… I’ve noticed it for years, and so have Caps fans. Not that there was anyone positive to speak about yesterday, but it’s pretty tiresome.”

And yeah, even fellow hockey writers chimed in with some heat and heart. “I love this self reflection. As I said yesterday, the tone of the broadcast was ridiculous and lacked nuance and context throughout. Big fan of this kind of introspection. Rub dirt on it and keep it moving.” So yeah, that apology? Definitely overdue—but at least it finally hit the ice. And whelp, it’s lookin’ like the Washington Capitals are caught in a full-blown L loop right now.

Just hours ago, even with the legend himself, Alex Ovechkin hitting that sweet 896th NHL goal, the Caps still took another hit—falling 4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets right in their own house at Capital One Arena. Yeah, Columbus came in with that playoff hunger and left with a win that kept their postseason dreams flickering. Meanwhile, DC fans were left groaning again. And here’s where the plot thickens—if the NHL streets are whispering right, some of those spicy commentator remarks that got the hockey world buzzing might’ve been rooted in a flashback to a 7-0 meltdown from last season.

Washington Capitals’ game remarks comes from some other game?

June 2024 hit like a slapshot to the soul for Canada. The dream of bringing Lord Stanley’s Cup back home took its last breath deep in the Florida heat, right on the edge of those wild Everglades. Edmonton’s comeback run was looking storybook-worthy, winning three straight after being down 0-3. Fans were riding that emotional rollercoaster like it was destiny—but then boom, heartbreak. One last gasp in Game 7, and the Florida Panthers sealed it 2-1, sending Oilers fans from palm trees to prairie skies into a stunned silence.

Outside Rogers Place? Total stillness. Like someone hit pause in the whole city. Drinks were tossed in frustration, hugs were shared through heartbreak, and folks just drifted away, hands stuffed in pockets, trying to pretend that the ending didn’t sting as bad as it did. Inside the arena, 16,000 fans watched the screen with glassy eyes, while down in Florida, Panthers fans were throwing their signature plastic rats like confetti. Even with blue and orange loyalists roaring under the palm trees, chanting “Go Oilers Go!” louder than the home team, the magic just didn’t last long enough.

Still, there’s something about that wild ride nobody’s gonna forget. Edmonton lived and breathed those playoffs. Chalk art on the sidewalks, Oilers flags flying off anything with wheels—even a fake Zamboni. People got inked for it, shouted themselves hoarse, and bonded like never before. And yeah, it ended with a Game 7 déjà vu straight outta 2006—but as fans said, ‘It was worth every penny.’ The Cup may still be playing hard to get with Canada since ‘93, but this run? It gave the whole country a little hope and a whole lotta heart. And now, as this NHL season also saw another 7-0 loss with Washington Capitals, it might just be the start of their comeback!