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I know everybody is jumping off the bandwagon because the Caps are floundering in the second round of the playoffs against their nemesis the Pittsburgh Penguins.

I understand the frustration. This team has so much potential. But if it doesn't happen this year, it will happen sooner rather than later. The Caps have arguably the best player in the game in Alex Ovechkin. He's only in his 4th season. Historically, it takes a while for the great ones to get their championships. Ovechkin is no different than Gretzky, Lemieux or even Michael Jordan. Usually the game's greatest performers get to the promised land, some just take a little longer than others.

Michael Jordan took seven seasons to win his first NBA title with the Chicago Bulls. Remember the frustration when Doug Collins was coaching the Bulls and they couldn't get past the Detroit Pistons? It took years to get the chemistry right and to find the right players to surround the greatest player of his generation. Jordan carried the Bulls every year. But it wasn't until 1990-91 that they were able to break through.

Wayne Gretzky was destined for greatness. By age ten in junior hockey, he had 378 goals in just 85 games. By age 13 he scored 1000 goals. At 14 his family arranged for him to move to get away from all the pressure in his hometown. He was a prodigy. He won a championship right away correct? Nope. It took the "Great One" five seasons to win his first Stanley Cup.

Mario Lemieux was in his fourth season when he won his first NHL scoring title. He also won his first Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player, as well as the All-Star Game MVP award after a record-setting six-point game. The Penguins didn't even qualify for the playoffs that year. It wasn't until his 7th season that Lemieux won his first Stanley Cup.

John Elway was the first pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1983 before forcing a trade to the Denver Broncos. By his second season, Elway set team records for passing attempts, completions and yards. In 1987 he was the MVP of the NFL. He led the Broncos to three Super Bowl losses before finally breaking through in his 15th season.

Alex Ovechkin is in his fourth season with the Washington Capitals. He's the son of a professional soccer player and a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist basketball player. Greatness is in the man's genes. He was the first pick of the 2004 NHL draft. In 2005-06 he won the NHL Rookie of Year award. In 2007 he led the league in goals and points scored. He is the first player to win th Rocket Richard Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Lester B. Peason Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy all in the same year.

Alex is only 23 years old. His countryman Alexander Semin is just 25. Niklas Backstrom is just 21. We've all seen what young goalie Simeon Varlamov is capable of and he just turned 21. He might not even be the best goalie in the Caps organization. They have another potential superstar in the minors, Michal Neuvirth, who is supposedly better than Varly.

The trio of George Mcphee, Ted Leonsis and Bruce Boudreau all seem to be on the same page. The young talent is there. Mike Green is a star, even if he's struggling in the postseason this year. If the Caps keep sprinkling in the right key veterans to support the young stars and Ovechkin in particular, it's only a matter of time. Like Gretzky, Lemieux, Jordan, Elway and other superstars, sometimes it just takes a while for the right mix of players around the superstar to help hoist the magical trophy and win a championship.