Heartbreak. Failed expectations. "Choking Dogs". "Crapitals". The DMV has heard it all in the 42 years since the Washington Capitals came to the district.
For the better part of their existence, the Capitals have absolutely been a great, winning franchise. Year after year, they have made fantastic and countless runs in the regular season, only to get ousted in the playoffs- often much earlier in the playoffs than anticipated based on their seeding. And in most heartbreaking fashion, out of the few times in NHL history that a team has lost a 3-1 series lead, the Caps unfathomably lead the way with five 3-1 leads, that turned into gut-wrenching series losses. No other franchise has had this happen to them more than two times since the Caps came into the league in 1974. Apart from making the Stanley Cup Finals once in 1998, and the Conference Finals one other time in 1990, even with all the dominant teams that were supposed to make deep post-season runs, there have been no other runs past the conference semi-finals.
I will insert, however that out of the many times we (yes, most of you know I am a "we" fan guy!) have painfully blown 3-1 leads, amazingly there have also been two times that we have comeback from 3-1 deficits!
First, there was the 1988 first round vs the rival Flyers when the Caps stormed back and Dale Hunter scored "the goal" in OT of game 7 to dramatically clinch the comeback. It is widely considered one of the best moments in Caps history.
And then in 2009, the higher seeded Caps trailed the Rangers 3-1, but would also storm back to stun their rivals and close them out at home in game 7. With 5 minutes remaining and the game knotted at 1, the veteran Sergei Fedorov scored the dramatic game, and series-clinching goal to complete the comeback. Personally for me, I had been a casual Caps fan since childhood, going to an occasional game here and there, and mostly following them when they made it to the playoffs. Though I did and still do consider them in the second tier level of my favorite teams (with the Redskins and Orioles always at the top), I think it was in this moment that a new interest and excitement about this franchise, and hockey took off. I embraced the greatness and epic drama of NHL playoff hockey in a unique way for the first time. Along with many DMV area sports fans, we have been hungry for a perennial championship contender. And now we could say that the Capitals were this. It was a very sweet moment. A moment that in many ways really helped launch the "Rock The Red" era.
Since the "Rock The Red" era really began towards the end of the 2008 era, with the young and hungry Ovechkin-led squad catching fire and improbably winning their first division championship of the era, the Caps have boasted the best overall cumulative record in the NHL, with year after year of dominance. Sometimes, historic dominance. Yet year after year, the movie has ended in the same fashion: most often a loss in the conference semi-finals.
After the dramatic 7 game clincher vs the Rangers, the Caps would revert back to their old, historic ways, by blowing a 2-0 series lead vs, none other than the hated Penguins. Yes, out of the five times the Caps have blown 3-1 series leads, the Penguins have come back on us twice. So once again, they would erase a 2 game deficit to fuel the rival hatred all the more.
The 2009-10 season looked to be different. The surging Caps would finally break through. They would not be denied, right? Accomplishing a franchise record 121 points, the Presidents Trophy winners would enter the playoffs a heavy favorite. But in the first round, after once again jumping out to a 3-1 series lead, we would once again let history rear its ugly head, and drop a 7 game heartbreaker to the 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens.
The Caps would win in the first round in the 2011 and '12 seasons. In 2012, after Bruce Boudreau was fired mid-season, long-time Caps legend Dale Hunter would come on the scene and lead the Caps towards a late-season run, finishing as the 7th seed in the playoffs. In the first round vs the favored, and defending Cup champion Bruins, the Caps would win game 7 in the Garden on Joel Ward's dramatic OT goal.
It was definitely another one of the sweetest moments in Caps history. Once again we asked the question: could this be it? Perhaps after the years of being the heavy favorites, the Caps would fly under the radar and actually be the team to upset the favorites. It was a fun ride. But once again in gut-wrenching fashion, the Caps would lose in 7 games to the Rangers. In game 5, the Caps looked to be heading towards a huge victory, and seizing control of the series. But with just 5 seconds left (after a horrible call to give the Rangers a 2 man advantage), the Rangers would improbably tie the game at 2, sending it to OT. And on a side note, it was so brutal having to listen to the Rangers awful goal song with all their delirious fans screaming in euphoria. We all knew what would happen then and on cue, the Rangers would indeed steal the victory, take a 3-2 series lead, then win back in The Garden in game 7.
In the 2014-'15 season, under first year Caps coach Barry Trotz, though they finished second in the fierce Metro division to the Presidents Trophy winning Rangers, the Caps surged down the stretch and entered the playoffs a hot team. After beating a tough Islanders team in 7, the Caps once again played a familiar playoff foe in the rival Rangers. When the Caps jumped out to a surprising 3-1 lead there were mixed emotions. On one end it seems like we as fans were optimistic and hopeful that perhaps WE would be the ones who would finally oust a mighty favorite, after all the years of falling short. WE were the ones who would ride the hot goalie through the post-season, and defeat a team with loftier expectations. Would this finally be our time? But on the other end of it, were were holding our breath and staring history in the face. Another 3-1 series lead. Surely we wouldn't blow it again. There is no way this could happen. Again. But yes, history of painful blown leads would once again re-visit its ugly head and the Rangers improbably came back to win in 7 in OT. And once again, having to listen to that awful goal song!
I'll never forget seeing Braden Holtby laying on the ice after the game-winning goal lit the lamp. The Garden was in a frenzy. The Caps were stunned. Yes, it happened again. Another gut-wrenching 3-1 series loss. The memory of Braden Holtby laying on the ice stayed with me in the offseason. I couldn't believe it happened again. How would the Caps respond? How would the long-suffering fans respond?
In the offseason, the Caps made a huge splash by trading for TJ Oshie. Oshie is most famously known for his heroics in the 2014 Olympics, by almost single-handedly helping team USA knock off the heavily favored Russians. So now Oshie was paired with Ovi and Backy. Holtby was turning into a top notch goalie. And on top of this, multi-Stanley Cup winner Justin Williams also signed with the Caps.
I was convinced the 2015-16 season was it. Still seething from the game 7 loss to the Rangers and seeing Braden Holtby laying on the ice after the puck cleared to clinch the series, I was hopeful that the team was ready, with fierce resolve, to make the long-awaited Stanley Cup championship run.
As expected, the Caps dominated the regular season, in historic fashion and cruised to the Presidents Trophy for the second time in the Rock The Red era. But this team was different. Unlike the '10 Presidents Trophy winners, this team looked better and was ready for the deep- hopefully championship playoff run. We had Oshie. We had Williams. And as hoped, Braden Holtby indeed turned into an elite goalie. All the pieces were in place. But once again, it was the hated Penguins- who really turned it on in the 2nd half of the season and was the only team who could have beaten us- defeating us in crushing fashion in the 2nd round. Once again, it was an excruciating, OT loss that sealed it. How could this happen again? The Penguins- again?! And once again, Braden Holtby laid stunned on the ice after seeing the game and series-clinching goal light the lamp, while the home team went crazy.
How in the world did this happen again? Was there any way the Caps could recover from that, and come back this year- perhaps with even more resolve?
In what is perhaps the best division the NHL has ever seen- certainly the best I can recall during my lifetime- the 2016-17 CAPS still seized control and emerged #1 in the Metro. And not just #1 in the fierce Metro division competition, but once again, #1 in the entire NHL, locking up the Presidents Trophy- for the 2nd straight season. This is the most dominant 2 season stretch in the regular season I have ever seen- Caps, anyone. This team is extremely talented and balanced, with deep depth on all 4 lines. They have front line superstars in Ovi, Backy, and Oshie. They have all-stars and rising stars in Shattenkirk, Kuzy, and Burky. They have an elite goalie in Holtby, and a solid backup in Grubauer. They have a proven, multi-champion leader in Justin Williams. They have defensive studs, and another Cup Winner in Orpik. And they are extremely well coached by Trotz.
Yes, last years team was historically good and if not for running into the red hot, hated rival Penguins- the only team that could have beaten them- they would have won the Cup. But as good as that team was last year, this team is even better. And I would like to think and hope, they are fiercely resolved to not let anything stand in their path, and primed for their long-awaited run to the elusive Cup. Last years pain- and the pain of many prior years of painfully falling short- will not be forgotten, and fuel them through each round.
Last year the juggernaut Caps clinched everything with a month to go in the season, had nothing to really play for down the stretch, and perhaps lost some of their edge going into the playoffs. But this team has been in a brawl with the fierce Metro competition, and down the stretch when things got tight and they needed to step on the gas, they still pulled away and got hot at the very end, winning 11 of 13 to close it out.
Yes, I am hopeful and optimistic that THIS Capitals team is on their way, and ready for their long-awaited, well-deserved, and elusive Stanley Cup. Bring on the competition. Bring on the Pens. I believe THIS Caps team is a juggernaut. And right up there with the historically good '91 Redskins, will hopefully emerge as one of the greatest championship teams this area has ever seen.
