Capitals must finish historic season
The Washington Capitals are on a historic pace. Through their first 59 games, the Capitals are 44-11-4, racking up 92 points. No team in the history of the National Hockey League has ever won so many games through the first 59 contests of the season.
Washington is trying to chase down the all-time points record in a single season of 132 points, held by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. To get there in the final 22 affairs of the regular season, Washington would need to finish 20-2-0 or better. It’s not going to happen, but the Capitals can give it the ole’ college try.
More importantly, Washington is trying to raise the Stanley Cup for the first time in its longest, torturous history. The Capitals are not one of these franchises that have stunk forever and are just now getting close to a championship. The Los Angeles Kings are a perfect example of that, being rancid for most of ttheir existence since 1967 before finally breaking through in 2012.
No, the Capitals have been successful for a long time, but always seem to choke when the crucible is at its hottest. Washington came into the NHL in the 1974-75 season and first made it to the postseason in 1982-83, losing to the dynastic New York Islanders. This would start a stretch of 14 consecutive seasons in the playoffs without once reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. It seems like a mathematical impossibility, but the Capitals were there to defy logic.
Oddly enough, Washington would only miss the postseason for one year before returning and led by the play of Peter Bondra, Joe Juneau and Olaf Kolzig, went to the finals. However, the Detroit Red Wings were ready and waiting, pummeling the Capitals in a four-game sweep.
Washington has not been back to that round since losing. Yet the Capitals continue to get close, especially since the addition of Alexander Ovechkin 10 years ago. Ovechkin has led one of the more explosive teams in the league for some time, and from 2007-10, the Capitals won the Southeast Division four straight years. The 2009-10 team was the most dominant, going 54-15-13 and taking home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. After going up 3-1 on the woefully overmatched Canadiens, Washington somehow blew the quarterfinal series and lost, 4-3.
This time around, Washington has to get it done. Ovechkin has to be the catalyst, along with Vezina Trophy favorite Braden Holtby. Washington has the best offense in the league and ranks second in goals against per game. The power play paces hickey and the penalty kill is fourth. This team is as close to perfect as it gets.
With home-ice once more, the Capitals have everything lined up perfectly. Finally, could this be the year when they don’t screw it all up come the spring?
