Most girls will tell you there are few situations in life that cannot be explained by a scene from The Princess Bride.

After the Caps’ loss to the Rangers last night, I feel Mostly Dead.  Tortured.  Gutted.  But if you lean close enough, you might hear me whisper:

In case you missed it (what on Earth were you doing instead?!), the Caps were up 2-1 with 22 seconds to play.  Joel Ward took a high-sticking double-minor for hitting Cary Elwes Ryan Gosling Carl Hagelin in the face.  Then this happened:

Inconceivable.  WE HAD THIS GAME!  Holtby was killing it and the Caps were digging for every inch.  It was right there… and here we go into the Fire Swamp, also known as another damned overtime game.

At least it didn’t take long.  Ginger Staal scored while Ward was serving his second penalty.  And just like that – Pit of Despair.

I feel so bad for Joel Ward.  It was an awful penalty but only one of a billion the Caps have taken this season.  And he handled it like this, managing to break my heart even more:

Shake it off, JWard.  Good adventure movies teach us that all hope is not lost.  I’m not going to kill myself because none of our four fastest ships scored.  Outshot 38-18?  BAH.  I’m not left-handed either!  We are going to fight to the pain in game six.  As baby Fred Savage tells his grandfather, Columbo: “I wasn’t nervous. Maybe I was a little bit ‘concerned’ but that’s not the same thing. “

Let’s focus on game six.  Get a wheelbarrow and a holocaust cloak because we are opening that gate.  And when someone gives you a book, remember to ask: