WASHINGTON — Eleven days after leading the Washington Capitals to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship, Coach Barry Trotz is skating out the door.

And a fanbase still hung over from a dayslong Cup celebration is brought back down to earth. The Caps need themselves a new coach before they can even think of going, in the words of T.J. Oshie, “back to back … back to back.” “I think it’s a travesty,” said Dale, a fan from D.C. “Who wins a Stanley Cup, and then just, I don’t know, walks away from it?” (Answer: A Stanley Cup-winning coach in a contract year.) Paul, another D.C. resident, hopes it’s just another instance of a hockey coach playing another game altogether — hardball. “I hope it’s some negotiating ploy,” he said. To that point, Jason hopes the Caps’ front office does what it takes to keep him in town, no matter how many zeroes it involves. “We finally got all the chemistry right, obviously,” Jason said. “Pieces were clicking together — Stanley Cup champions, first time in franchise history. Why mess with a good thing?” On Twitter, the reaction ranged from the hot-takey …

I thought he underperformed this season.

— jeff barsky (@jbarsky) June 18, 2018

… to the .gif-fy …

pic.twitter.com/C9929qdWc0

— Colin Diehl (@C_DiehlQB8) June 18, 2018

When you wake up from a nap and read @capitals coach Barry Trotz has resigned… pic.twitter.com/zOuL6izwk9

— Tommy McFLY (@TommyMcFLY) June 18, 2018

… to the simply unhappy.

I’m sick! Hopefully, he just wants to be home with his son/family and not because management wouldn’t pony up!

— Robert Brawer (@RBrawer) June 18, 2018

Such is the way of the world: Team success begets individual success, which begets an individual asking himself, “Hey, why am I getting paid fewer millions than Claude Julien is?” Meanwhile, a legion of amateur New York sports pundits are eagerly rubbing their hands, hoping to make D.C.’s loss their gain.

The Islanders have to find a way to get Barry Trotz. I don’t know what Sweet Lou wants to do, but he would do himself a disservice if he can’t get Trotz in for an interview. I know Lou wants to develop a young coach, but how do you say no to Barry Trotz?

— Leslie in Fort Lee (@MongoGoesInsane) June 18, 2018