Washington CapitalsAmerican Professional ice hockey team based in Washington, DCIt plays in the east Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). Capitals won two Eastern Conference Championships (1998, 2018) and one Stanley Cup (2018).
Founded in 1974, the capitals experienced a disastrous inaugural campaign, displaying a record of 8–67–5 during the 1974-1975 season. The percentage of victories of .131 of the team this season remains the worst in the history of the NHL. Capitals have improved slightly in the following years, but the team has nevertheless completed the last or second place in its division in each of the following seven seasons. The “caps” had their first victory record and their place in the playoffs during the 1982-1983 season. Right wing Mike Gartner and the defenders Larry Murphy and Rod Langway led the team with five consecutive second place division between 1983 and 1984 and 1987-1988. Washington won its first division title in 1988-1989 and appeared in the conference final in 1989-1990, but the capital did not succeed in moving forward in the playoffs until the mid-1990s.
In 1997-1998, the capital, led by the right Peter Bondra and goalkeeper Olaf Kolzig, won his first conference title and obtained a place in the Stanley Cup finals, which they have lost Detroit Red Wings. The team published winning records in four of the five seasons after their final berth But failed to pass beyond the first round of the playoffs during this period.
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In 2004, the Capitals drafted Wing Alex Ovechkin. He led the team with four consecutive division titles between 2007 and 2008 and 2010-2011, including a League record in 2009-2010-and another division championship in 2012-2013, but his capital teams were marked by the post-season disappointment and did not progress beyond the second round of the eliminations in six consecutive appearances. The team of teams of the appearance team in the playoffs ended in the 2013-2014 season, but the capital rebounded the following season with a second place in the division. However, Washington continued his recent story of serpent qualifying series by losing – after having held a three game advantage – an exciting series of second round at the New York Rangers It saw the seven games decided by a single goal.
It appeared that the capitals could finally break through in 2015-2016 when the team set a franchise record with 56 victories and displayed the best NHL record. However, Washington was eliminated by the Pittsburgh penguins During the second round of the playoffs in six games, once again undergoing the defeats of a booty throughout the series. The prolonged misery of the franchise in playoffs continued in 2016-2017, because the capitals were again the most successful team of the NHL regular season with 55 victories, but were again eliminated by the Penguins in the second round of the playoffs.
The capitals of the Ovechkin era finally pierced in 2017-2018. During these playoffs, Washington overcome many of its last demons in the playoffs, returning from a 2-0 series deficit In the first round, finally beating the Penguins in the second, then winning his first conference title in 20 years (via a series of seven games stretched against the Tampa Bay Lightning) to win a berth in the Stanley Cup final. Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden KnightsA franchise in his first year of operation, in five games to win the Stanley Cup. The victory was not only the first championship of the 44 years of capital history, but also the first major professional title in Washington in more than a quarter of a century. Ovechkin received the Conn Smythe trophy as the most useful player in the playoffs. The Victory of the Stanley Cup has not finished the end of the recent history of the first season flame franchise, the Capitals won a fourth consecutive division title in 2018-2019, but were upset in the series of playoffs in the first round.
