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The Washington Capitals Win Their First Stanley Cup
New York Times ^ | June 7, 2018 | Ben Shpigel

Posted on 06/07/2018 8:11:33 PM PDT by EdnaMode

Across their 43 seasons, the Washington Capitals have dabbled in hapless hockey and exquisite hockey, boring hockey and effective hockey, but never had they played winning hockey through four playoff rounds, all the way to a grueling, glorious end.

It took a team hardened by those postseason lures but liberated from high expectations to complete a run as dazzling as it was cathartic, capping it on Thursday night by dispatching the upstart Vegas Golden Knights, 4-3, to win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

It was the Capitals’ fourth consecutive victory in the finals after a disorienting 6-4 loss in the opener that made little sense in the context of how they played immediately before and afterward. After twice shutting out the offensive powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning to advance to its first Cup finals since 1998, Washington outscored the Golden Knights across these last four games.

The Capitals overwhelmed Vegas with the same elements that propelled them past Columbus, their nemesis Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay: stifling neutral-zone defense, superb goaltending by Braden Holtby and waves of prolific talent headlined by the superstar scorer Alex Ovechkin, who will no longer be labeled the best player never to win a Cup.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: capitals; dc; goldenknights; hockey; nhl; stanleycup; vegas; vegasgoldenknights; washingtoncapitals; washingtondc
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To: the OlLine Rebel

Lol.

Whoever has the most money to buy the best players wins. That’s all it is.


81 posted on 06/08/2018 5:21:52 AM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: Alberta's Child

Don’t mean to correct, but Rod Langway is actually in the Hall of Fame (2002 inductee). Those Capitals teams of the 1980s with all of those good and great players had the misfortune of being there with the Islanders, Flyers (the 1987 team probably being the best one ever to not win the Cup), and the Gretzky/Messier Edmonton Oilers at the same time.

https://www.hhof.com/htmlinduct/ind02langway.shtml


82 posted on 06/08/2018 5:30:09 AM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("The Gardens was founded by men-sportsmen-who fought for their country" Conn Smythe, 1966)
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To: Alberta's Child

Sorry, I misread your post and did not take your future tense into account concerning Hot Rod (future Hall of Famer).


83 posted on 06/08/2018 5:32:03 AM PDT by OttawaFreeper ("The Gardens was founded by men-sportsmen-who fought for their country" Conn Smythe, 1966)
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To: Bulwyf

if that were true the Rangers would own the Cup.

salary cap means every GM has the same possibility to build a competitive team.


84 posted on 06/08/2018 5:32:24 AM PDT by RitchieAprile
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To: RitchieAprile

That’s just based off my own observations.

I don’t watch sports much anymore, I don’t like being an enabler.


85 posted on 06/08/2018 5:34:13 AM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: Mozilla

That’s interesting. Didn’t realize the Blues made it to the finals in their first three years. Very impressive.


86 posted on 06/08/2018 5:46:55 AM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: OttawaFreeper

No worries! You were right to correct my post. It was pretty darn confusing to use the term “future” when describing something that has already happened as of today. LOL.


87 posted on 06/08/2018 6:10:41 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: EdnaMode
The Blues weren't as impressive as it sounds. They joined the league in the 1967 expansion, and the NHL set up the 12-team league to guarantee early success for the expansion teams. The Original Six were all put in one conference, and the six expansion teams were all in the other one. That way, there would always be an expansion team in the Stanley Cup finals.

The Blues had a number of great players but they were long past their primes. They made it to the finals in their first three seasons from 1968 to 1970 but were swept every year by dominant Montreal and Boston teams.

88 posted on 06/08/2018 6:19:22 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: EdnaMode

So the season for ice hockey—a winter sport—finally comes to an end halfway between Memorial Day and the summer solstice. The hockey season is way too long—and the same can be said for professional baseball, football and basketball.


89 posted on 06/08/2018 6:24:55 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: Alberta's Child

Ah, thanks for the info. Very interesting. :D


90 posted on 06/08/2018 6:37:06 AM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: Fiji Hill

It’s all about the Money. Longer season more Money.


91 posted on 06/08/2018 7:08:30 AM PDT by Empireoftheatom48 (WWG1WGA!)
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To: airborne

Add me, please? (in time for October :) ) Thanks!


92 posted on 06/08/2018 7:15:23 AM PDT by bootless (Is life so dear or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it!)
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To: Mozilla

Smith-Pelly on the Caps. He scored the tying goal last night, I believe. He’s a solid player and I hope that when he becomes a FA that the Sharks can sign him.


93 posted on 06/08/2018 7:16:28 AM PDT by bootless (Is life so dear or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it!)
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To: OttawaFreeper

Interesting that three defenseman from that Washington team ended up in the Hall of Fame (Langway, Murphy and Stevens). That’s pretty rare, for sure.


94 posted on 06/08/2018 7:16:54 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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To: Ciexyz

Yeah, me too. But the Caps dominated them, pure and simple.


95 posted on 06/08/2018 8:06:05 AM PDT by Yaelle
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To: Meet the New Boss

Finally, a victory for the Washington establishment team over the upstart, outsider “Golden Knight” from the land of glitz…

(I guess they the right Russians won ;-)


96 posted on 06/08/2018 8:50:13 AM PDT by mikrofon (Finally Friday BUMP)
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To: PlateOfShrimp
If that happens, surely Armageddon is right around the corner.

No, that is reserved for when the Buffalo Bills win the Super Bowl.

Caps were certainly the better team in this series, although Vegas was a worthy opponent. Washington should be considered a favorite to win it next season, as long as they can hang onto John Carlson (potential UFA).

97 posted on 06/08/2018 10:50:19 AM PDT by Major Matt Mason (The U.S. Senate - where American freedom goes to die.)
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To: EdnaMode
Just watching the video of the final seconds of the game/Cup celebration, and noticed that the first Australian to play in the NHL (Nathan Walker) will be the first Aussie to win the Cup, as well. Sounds like it isn't a given that his name will be on the Cup, though, as there are only 3 open spots and he appeared in just one playoff game (with one assist), but I think he'll make it on there.
98 posted on 06/08/2018 11:14:02 AM PDT by Major Matt Mason (The U.S. Senate - where American freedom goes to die.)
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To: Alberta's Child

I think the ever-underrated Mike Gartner played for the Caps for a while, too.


99 posted on 06/08/2018 1:35:58 PM PDT by rfp1234 (I have already previewed this composition.)
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To: rfp1234

Right! I didn’t include him because the poster I was responding to had already listed him in Post #4.


100 posted on 06/08/2018 1:40:38 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's.")
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