Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America
With the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs just around the corner in the league’s delayed postseason schedule, NoVa Caps’ Diane Doyle examines the playoff history for the Washington Capitals, who are coming off a 3-2 exhibition game win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Stanley Cup-winning Seasons – 1, 2017-18
Stanley Cup Final Losses – 1, 1997-98
Eastern Conference Final Losses – 1, 1989-90
Second Round Losses – 11; 1983-84, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1990-91, 1993-94, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2011-12. 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17
First Round Losses – 14; 1982-83, 1984-85;, 1986-87, 1988-89, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1994-95, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2012-13, 2018-19
Note: 1986-87 was the first year in which the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was a Best of 7 instead of a Best of 5 series.
PLAYOFF FACTS
- During their history (including the 2019-20 season) the Capitals have made the playoffs 29 times in 45 seasons, or 64.4%
- After missing the playoffs entirely for the first eight years of their existence, they made the playoffs in 14 consecutive seasons, but advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals just once during that time frame.
- The Caps have advanced to the playoffs for six consecutive years, including the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with their most recent failure to advance coming in the 2013-14 season. Prior to the 2013-14 season, they had made the playoffs six consecutive seasons, or 12 out of the last 13 seasons (92.3%).
NOTABLE SERIES GAME-WINNING OVERTIME GOALS
– Dale Hunter — 4/16/1988, Round 1, Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers
– Brian Bellows — 5/4/1998, Round 1, Game 6 against the Boston Bruins
– Joe Juneau — 6/4/1998, Round 3, Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres
– Joel Ward — 4/25/2012, Round 1, Game 7 against the Boston Bruins
– Marcus Johansson — 4/23/2017, Round 1, Game 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs
– Evgeny Kuznetsov — 5/72018, Round 2, Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins
#ALLCAPS @Kuzya92 joins a great list of memorable series clinching OT winners:
1988: Dale Hunter
1990: John Druce
1998: Brian Bellows
1998: Joe Juneau
2012: Joel Ward
2017: Marcus Johansson
2018: Evgeny Kuznetsov pic.twitter.com/szExBRihxk— 📸🏈🏀 (@J0EGL0) May 8, 2018
INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Leaders – Career Playoffs
Goals
Alex Ovechkin — 65
Nicklas Backstrom — 36
Peter Bondra — 30
Dale Hunter — 25
Evgeny Kuznetsov – 24
Assists
Nicklas Backstrom – 70
Alex Ovechkin – 61
Dale Hunter – 47
Scott Stevens – 44
John Carlson, Calle Johansson – 42
Points
Alex Ovechkin – 126
Nicklas Backstrom – 106
Dale Hunter — 72
Mike Ridley, John Carlson – 60
Leaders – Single Season Playoff Run
NHL
Goals
Alex Ovechkin – 15 in 2018
John Druce – 14 in 1990 (3 Rounds)
Evgeny Kuznetsov – 12 in 2018
Alex Ovechkin – 11 in 2009 (2 Rounds)
T.J. Oshie – 8 in 2018
Dino Ciccarelli – 8 in 1990 (3 Rounds)
Assists
Evgeny Kuznetsov – 20 in 2018
Nicklas Backstrom – 18 in 2018
John Carlson – 15 in 2018
T.J. Oshie – 13 in 2018
Andrei Nikolishin – 13 in 1998
Alex Ovechkin – 12 in 2018
Points
Evgeny Kuznetsov – 32 in 2018
Alex Ovechkin – 27 in 2018
Nicklas Backstrom – 23 in 2018
T.J. Oshie — 21 in 2018
Alex Ovechkin – 21 in 2009
John Carlson – 20 in 2018
Leaders – Single Playoff Round
Goals
John Druce – 9 in Round 2 in 1990
Alex Ovechkin – 8 in Round 2 in 2009
Dino Ciccarelli – 8 in Round 1 in 1990
Dale Hunter – 7 in Round 1 of 1993
Al Iafrate – 6 in Round 1 in 1993
Peter Bondra – 6 in 1992
Assists
Mike Ridley – 11 in Round 1 in 1992
John Carlson — 8 in Round 1 in 2018
Mike Gartner – 8 in Round 2 in 1986
4 tied with 7 assists
Points
Alex Ovechkin – 14 in Round 2 in 2009
John Druce – 11 in 1990
Mike Ridley – 11 in 1992
6 tied with 10 points
LEADERS BY SERIES LENGTH
Three-Round Series Leaders in Goals: Druce (14) — 1990, Ciccarelli (8) –1990
Two-Round Series Leaders in Goals: Ovechkin (11) – 2009, Hunter (7) –1988, Backstrom (6) – 2017, Oshie (6) – 2016, Ridley (6) – 1988
One-Round Series Leaders in Goals: Hunter (7) – 1993, iafrate (6) – 1992, Bondra (6) – 1992, Backstrom (5) — 2018
Three-Round Series Leaders in Assists: Courtnall (9) – 1990, Hunter (8) – 1990, Hatcher (8) – 1990, Stevens (7) – 1998, Tucker (7) — 1998
Two-Round Series Leaders in Assists: Backstrom (12) – 2009, Stevens (11) – 1988, Ovechkin (10) –2009, Gartner (10) – 1986, Semin (9) – 2009, Gustafsson (9) – 1988, Pivonka (8) – 1998
One-Round Series Leaders in Assists: Ridley (11) – 1992, Juneau (7) – 1996, Bondra (6) – 1993, Several tied with 5
Three-Round Series Leaders in Points: Druce (17) – 1990. Courtnall (13) – 1990, Hunter (12) – 1990, Ciccarelli (11) – 1990, Stevens (9) — 1990
Two-Round Series Leaders in Points: Ovechkin (21) – 2009, Backstrom (15) – 2009, Semin (14) – 2009, Backstrom (13) – 2017, Gustafsson (13) – 1988, Pivonka (13) — 1988
One-Round Series Leaders in Points: Ridley (11) – 1992, Ovechkin (10) – 2010, Hunter (7) – 1993, Backstrom (9) – 2010, Ovechkin (9) – 2008, Ciccarelli (9) — 1992
GOALIE STATISTICS
The two goalies who have played the most playoff games for the Capitalss are Braden Holtby and Olaf Kolzig. Holtby has played in 89 games, winning 48 and losing 41, with seven shutouts in the playoffs. His Goals-Against Average is 2.09 and his Save Percentage is .928. Kolzig played in 45 games, winning 20 games and losing 24, with six shutouts in the playoffs. His Goals-Against Average is 2.14, and his Save Percentage is .927. For any goalie who has played in at least seven games for the Capitallss, Holtby and Kolzig are the leaders in Goals-Against Average and Save Percentage. The only goalie who topped the Save Percentage of both Holtby and Kolzig, is Bob Mason, who played in four playoffs games in 1987.
A. Walsh/Associated Press
Statistics obtained from NHL.com, Hockey Reference, and Quanthockey.
By Diane Doyle
Further Reading
NoVa Caps: Playoff Heroes — Third Round and Beyond
Wash Post: Kuznetsov Overtime Goal Eerily Similar to Dale Hunter Goal of 1988
NoVa Caps: Capitals Alumni Profile – Dale Hunter
20th Anniversary: A Look Back at the Washington Capitals’ 1997-1998 Season
A Look at Joé Juneau’s Capitals Career
The Caps usually go 7 games and score 1 goal in g7. I never liked GMGM because year after year he went into the POs with a rookie G and ave D at best. FF for Erat should have been FF for a solid young D… why add a 3rd line winger when you dont have a 1st D!
Agree to some extent. D has to be top priority, starting now. Fehervary will replace Gudas, and Alexeyev is at least a year away, but will also had strength and youth.