The Washington Capitals have 15 years of competition with Alex Ovechkin, which fills their list of top ten teams. They had some success before his arrival, with Peter Bondra's trip to the Cup Final. With great players throughout their history, the top ten teams list is full of contenders.
Where do some of the best regular seasons in league history rank on the list? And just how many of these teams feature the great Ovechkin? Let's take a look at the ten best teams in Capitals history.
Greatest Capitals team of all time: 2017-18
The lone championship in Capitals history unsurprisingly ranks on top. Their regular season was another strong one, with 105 points and a third consecutive division title. Ovechkin led the team with 49 goals to win his seventh Rocket Richard trophy for the most in the league.
The playoffs started with a six-game victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The second round brought a matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the two things that had stopped the Capitals in the past. A game-six win over the two-time defending champions sent them to the conference final. The Lightning had a 3-2 series lead but were shut out in games six and seven to allow the Caps into the Final. They knocked off the Golden Knights in five games to win the title. Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.
#2: 1997-98
Rewinding 20 years, the only other Cup Final appearance in Capitals history came in 1997-98. The regular season was solid but not spectacular, with only 92 points. Bondra led the way with 52 goals and 78 points. He tied with Teemu Selanne for the most goals in the league.
The Capitals started their playoff run with a six-game victory against the Bruins. That forced a matchup with the Ottawa Senators, which Washington won in five games. In just their second-ever conference final appearance, the Capitals won three overtime games to beat the Sabres in six. The Red Wings won the Cup with a sweep over the Capitals, ending the great run.
#3: 2015-16
The Capitals have been eliminated in the second round a remarkable 11 times in their franchise history. The best of those seasons was 2015-16. They put up 120 regular season points, the second-most in franchise history. Evgeny Kuznetsov led the team in assists and points with 57 and 77 respectively. Ovechkin won the Richard once again with 50 goals and Barry Trotz won the Jack Adams Trophy for best coach.
The Capitals started their playoff run with a six-game victory over the Flyers. They lost back-to-back games after taking a 3-0 series lead but closed it out in six. They faced the Penguins in the second round and it did not go as well. The Capitals lost in six, ending their great season. The Penguins ended up winning the Cup.
#4: 2009-10
The best regular season in franchise history ended in one of the greatest upsets in league history. With 121 points, the Capitals won the President's Trophy. Ovechkin led the team with 50 goals, 59 assists, and 109 points and paced second in Hart Trophy voting. He did win the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player voted on by fellow players.
They faced the 88-point Montreal Canadiens in the first round. The heavily favored Capitals were stoned by goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who won the net from Carey Price. Halak's .939 save percentage in six games secured the win for the Habs, who ended up in the conference final.
#5: 2016-17
Before winning the Stanley Cup, the Trotz-led Capitals had the same playoff struggles that previous eras did. The '16-'17 team racked up 118 points to win the President's Trophy once again. They had the third-best offense in the league and the Trotz effect was evident on defense, as they allowed the fewest goals in the league. Braden Holtby won the Jennings Trophy for the team's defensive efforts.
The Capitals faced the Maple Leafs in the first round and won in six games. Five of those games went to overtime and Washington won three of those, including the clinching game. Once again, the Penguins sat in the way and the Capitals fell in the second round. The seven-game defeat launched the Penguins to their second straight title.
#6: 1989-90
Leaving the Ovechkin era, the 1983-84 season was the polar opposite of those seasons. The Capitals had a rough regular season despite their high expectations. They entered the season with +500 odds to win the Stanley Cup but only put up 78 points. They made the playoffs because they finished third in a very poor Patrick Division.
In the playoffs, they started with the New Jersey Devils. After winning the final three games to move on in six, they faced the division-winning Rangers. The Capitals won that series in five games to advance to the conference final for the first time in franchise history. The Bruins swept the Capitals and moved on to the Cup Final.
#7: 2008-09
Back to the second-round losses, the '08-'09 team was the second playoff squad of the Ovechkin era. After a first-round exit the year before, they put up 108 points in the regular season to win their division. Ovechkin was spectacular, scoring 56 goals and 110 points to win his second straight Hart, Richard, and Art Ross trophies, awarded to the player with the most points.
It looked like another first-round defeat was coming when they went down 3-1 to the Rangers. After winning three straight games, they advanced for the first time since 1998. The first matchup between Ovechkin and Crosby saw the first of Sid's many triumphs in a game seven win.
#8: 2010-11
The '10-'11 Capitals put together a division-winning squad on the shoulders of three young goaltenders, Michael Neuvirth, 22, Semyon Varlamov, 22, and Braden Holtby, 21, split time in the cage and shined. They allowed the fourth-fewest goals in the league but only scored the 19th-most in the league.
Another matchup with the Rangers awaited the Capitals in the first round. They won the series in five games, including two overtime victories. The Tampa Bay Lightning swept the Capitals in the second round, ending their season prematurely once again.
#9: 1983-84
Back to the '80s, the Capitals had never won a playoff series coming into the 1983-84 season. They built on their first playoff appearance the previous year to put together their first 100-point season. Mike Gartner led the team with 40 goals and 85 points. They allowed the fewest goals in the league thanks to solid seasons from goalies Al Jensen and Pat Riggin.
In the playoffs, the Capitals began with a series with the Flyers. Philadelphia had won a series between the two the previous year. Washington came back with a sweep in '84 to win their first playoff series. They were knocked off by the four-time defending champion New York Islanders in the second round.
#10: 2014-15
In a season that represents the Ovechkin era very well, the '14'-15 Capitals easily made the playoffs with 101 points. Ovechkin won the Richard with 53 goals and Nicklas Backstrom led the league with 60 assists. Trotz's first season in Washington was a success for the individuals and the team.
The playoffs began with a series against the New York Islanders. They played in what should have been the final game of the Nassau Coliseum, losing game six to extend the series. They won game seven to advance. Another matchup with the Rangers awaited but a game seven loss ended another promising season in the second round.
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