Alex Ovechkin Wins Hart Trophy
During 48 games this season, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored a league-leading 32 goals, and his efforts during the second half of the season helped propel his team to the Southeast Division lead. On June 15, Ovechkin won the third Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP voted by writers) of his eight-season career.
Stanley Cup Finals Preview
The Boston Bruins came back from down three goals to win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Chicago Blackhawks dethroned the Los Angeles Kings during the Western Conference finals. The Bruins and Blackhawks will now face each other, and the victor will take its place among the greats.
NHL Playoff Trends, Conference Finals
Although the Washington Capitals' road to the Stanley Cup ended during the first round of the playoffs, there still are four NHL teams in the running. Stephen London looks at storylines and trends that will help predict what might happen.
A Look At The Capitals' Near Future
After the New York Rangers manhandled the Washington Capitals during Game 7 of the NHL quarterfinals, the Capitals have a tough offseason ahead of them and many impactful decisions to make.
Capitals' Penalty Troubles Contributed To Early Exit
The Washington Capitals' playoff run lasted only one series, as they lost to the Rangers during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, and the number of penalties the Capitals committed contributed to their early playoff exit.
Video: Washington Capitals Goaltender Braden Holtby
The Caps Red Line crew catches up with Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby.
Did Day Off Before Game 4 Hurt Caps?
After a Game 3 loss to the Rangers May 6 during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Washington Capitals did not practice May 7, and Stephen London wonders whether that contributed to their Game 4 loss May 8.
Defense Helps Capitals Take Series Lead
Although the Capitals are sitting in the driver's seat after winning the first two games, both contests could have gone either way.
Caps, Rangers Are Familiar Opponents
The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers have faced off four times during the last six postseasons.
Baltimore Hockey Classic Returns In 2013
The Washington Capitals will face the Boston Bruins Sept. 17 at 1st Mariner Arena as part of the 2013 Baltimore Hockey Classic, an event that sold out in 2011, but was canceled in 2012 because of the NHL lockout.
Caps Clinch Sixth Straight Playoff Berth
The Washington Capitals clinched a sixth straight playoff berth, and their fifth division title during that six-year span, with a 5-3 win against the Winnipeg Jets April 23.
Top Five Storylines Of Capitals' Season
Stephen London explores the top five reasons the Washington Capitals overcame a 2-8-1 start and climbed the Eastern Conference ladder to the third spot.
Holtby Struggles, Winning Streak Ends
The Capitals' eight-game winning streak ended April 18 as goaltender Braden Holtby, who has been playing well through the month of April, let up two easy goals and a third scored on an empty net during a loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Capitals' Play Improving Going Into Playoffs
Scoring 17 goals and handing out seven assists (24 points) during the past 15 games, Alex Ovechkin has taken the league lead in goals (27) and is tied for fifth in points (46).
Capitals Playing Best During Homestretch
Some NHL analysts are saying the Capitals' recent success has been a direct result of weak Southeast Division foes. But that theory should be put to bed after Washington's 3-2 victory April 9 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Capitals Take Division Lead
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been on fire of late, scoring two goals April 2 against the Hurricanes and the game-winning shootout goal April 4 against the Islanders, which has helped the Capitals take the lead in the Southeast Division.
Capitals' Season Getting More Exciting
To the casual NHL observers who stopped watching the Washington Capitals after their slow start to the season, Phil Jackman says it's time to tune in as the Capitals battle for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Capitals Still In Playoff Hunt
With 13 games left of the shortened 48-game season, the Capitals are just a point behind the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers.
Which Capital Is Worth The Money?
Some may say the Capitals are overpaying Alex Ovechkin, who makes roughly $10 million per year, but Stephen London thinks Washington defenseman Mike Green is the one not playing up to his salary, which is about $6 million this season.
Healthier Capitals Team Gets Key Road Wins
The Washington Capitals are not out of the playoffs yet, and they are getting help from players who are getting healthy.
Ovechkin's Slipping Statistics Are Problem For Caps
No player in the NHL accounts for a bigger percentage of his respective team's salary cap than Alex Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals.
Are Lineup Adjustments Hurting Caps?
Not only have the Capitals hit a wall, but head coach Adam Oates might be trying to do too much with the lineup because of the team's recent struggles.
Capitals Improving, But Struggling On Road
The Washington Capitals went on a two-game skid March 9 and 10, dropping games against the Islanders and Rangers. The loss to the Islanders was in New York, and it was another example of the Capitals not playing well on the road.
Top Five NHL Stories From Season's First Half
Stephen London selects the five biggest storylines from the first half of the 2012-13 NHL season, including the way the Washington Capitals have turned their season around, going 8-3 during their last 11 games after starting off 2-8-1.
Capitals Improving Play During Third Period
During the last five games, the Capitals have outscored their opponents during the third period, 9-0, and for the season, that number is 25-16.
Capitals Improving, But Still Struggle On Penalty Kill
The Capitals may have started the 2012-13 season 2-8-1, but now they're on the verge of pulling their season out of the gutter, winning six out of nine games.
Holtby, Erskine Re-sign With Capitals
Despite starting the season slowly, Braden Holtby has come on strong the last seven games. During that span, the 23-year-old netminder has registered five wins, including two shutouts.
The Capitals' Perpetual Penalty Kill
One of the reasons the Capitals lost to the Rangers Feb. 17 and the Devils Feb. 23 is they are committing too many penalties, and Washington is not doing a good enough job on the penalty kill, ranking 24th in the league at 76.1 percent.
Capitals' Poor Play Puts Them In Hole
Despite scoring at least four goals during the previous three games, the Capitals managed to beat Lundqvist, a perennial All-Star, only once during a 2-1 loss on Feb. 17.
Capitals Get First Winning Streak
The Capitals swept the Panthers during the teams' Feb. 9 and 12 matchups, marking the Caps' first winning streak this season and giving them momentum as they head into a tough stretch of games against the Lightning, Rangers and Devils.
NHL First-Quarter Gems And Duds
Stephen London takes a look at some of the gems and duds from the first quarter of the 2013 NHL season.
Mediocrity Plaguing The Capitals
The Capitals' Feb. 7 loss to the Penguins was their third straight defeat, and their mediocre play has put them in the cellar of the NHL, with a 2-8-1 record.
Caps' Goaltending Carousel Continues
The Washington Capitals' goaltending carousel will continue to go around and around until head coach Adam Oates is content with one of the two young goaltenders or becomes fed up with one of them.
Capitals Falling Short At End Of Games
The Capitals got off to a strong start for the second consecutive game by scoring the first goal and holding the lead at the end of the second period, but another poor performance during the third period led to a 3-2 loss to Toronto Jan. 31.
Caps' Penalties Prove Costly Against Senators
The Capitals came to play early during their Jan. 29 game against the Ottawa Senators, but the energy eventually fizzled out, as the Senators grabbed the lead with 2:30 left during the third period for a 3-2 victory.
Better Effort Leads To First Caps Win
Although the Washington Capitals started off the season 0-3-1, they've played with better effort as of late, and found some success.
Capitals Struggle During Second Period
The Washington Capitals clawed back against New Jersey on Jan. 25, but couldn't hold off the Devils in overtime for a 3-2 defeat. The Capitals did manage to get a point, but they are still 0-4 and searching for answers.
Home Stand Humbles Capitals
The Washington Capitals have played well at home during recent seasons, but they are struggling in 2013, losing to the Montreal Canadiens at the Verizon Center, 4-1, Jan. 24 and falling to 0-3 overall, 0-2 at home.
Capitals' Season Starts With Skid
The Capitals host the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 24, and Washington will need to improve its defense in order to get its first win of the season.
NHL Preview: Southeast Division
Stephen London assesses how the NHL's Southeast Division teams are shaping up for the shortened 2012-13 season, projecting that first-year Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates will lead the team to a second-place finish.
Washington Capitals' State Of Affairs
The grueling process of ending the lockout is finished, with just formalities left before the new collective bargaining agreement can be ratified. So, how does the Capitals roster look now?
NHL Season Off Ice
On the cusp of passing NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's drop-dead-deadline of Jan. 11 for a season to be played, the NHL and NHLPA reached a tentative agreement on a new labor deal Jan. 6. Here are a few key areas the NHL and NHLPA came together on.
NHLPA Doesn't Dissolve, Talks Continue
The Jan. 2 deadline for the NHLPA to file a disclaimer of interest to dissolve as a union came and went, which is a sign the executives of the players' union may think the current negotiations with the NHL are progressing fast enough.
New Year Brings New NHL Negotiations
As the calendar turned from 2012 to 2013, the hockey world waited with baited breath to see whether the NHL lockout situation was going to be resolved. Although there have been multiple offers during the past few days, there still is no deal in place.
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