Never in my life had I ever seen a team in the Washington DC area win a championship. The last time that happened was at the start of 1992 with the NFL's Redskins Super Bowl. For that franchise, it has been nothing but mediocrity since. The NBA's Wizards have been on the rise the last ten or so years, but can't advance past the second round. Even with the move from Montreal, MLB's Nationals have been disappointing despite success the last six years.
This is where the NHL's Capitals come in. With their win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, they got their first Stanley Cup wins and their first trophy ever. Similar to the Wizards, they have done well, but have had nothing to show. No joke, they've had best records in seasons and they fail to either the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers, or some other team that sneaks up and gets the best of them.
You could tell after they got past the Penguins this year, it could have been an easy ride for them. Getting through Tampa Bay was not a cakewalk either. I did not expect this Stanley Cup Final to be finished that quick. The Golden Knights were a force to be reckoned with. Unstoppable was what I would say regarding their three series prior to the Final. It is still an expansion team, but this should be the standard for what all teams in any sport should look up to. They did a lot more than MLB's expansion teams from the 90s.
Where does this land for the Capitals? If you're Alexander Ovechkin, you just landed yourself a spot in the Hall of Fame when you're finished. It also means for DC, ending a lot of heartbreak since 1982. Looking at Pro Hockey Reference, they have had so many first and second round exits, the question was whether they would win a Stanley Cup at all. A few other guys have cemented their legacies as well. This is something they will savor for the rest of their lives.
Hockey has a new place for the Stanley Cup.
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