Just moments ago a final buzzer rang in Gallery Place, a clarion call signaling the Washington Capital's' berth into the second round of the NHL playoffs. It took five games -- two more than the past five playoff series since 2008 -- to move past the New York Rangers 3-1 at the Verizon Center. Until most of the way through the third period the Caps were up 3-0, thanks to an Ovechkin second period goal in the second period and a series of third period saves by Neuvirth. The Rangers were able to throw up a single tick on the score board with a sixth-man goal with 31.5 sceonds remaining. more ›

Who is Evgeny Kuznetsov? A lot of D.C. publications will ask this question in the next few weeks, but we won't. Okay, sure, he's a six foot tall, 172 pound kid who was born in a time when Courtney Love was a legitimate feminist icon and global superstar. But it's not when he was born, what he eats for breakfast, what kind of music he listens to, what he believes in or how many goals he scored as captain of his team in the under-18 world championships (five, plus seven assists -- in seven games) that made Kuznetsov the right choice for the Capitals in last night's 2010 NHL Entry Draft. It's where he was born. In Russia. more ›

Tonight at 7 p.m. you can watch the first round of the NHL draft on Vs. In a week where the Caps have received some of their annual propers with one of two available MVP awards (Alexander Ovechkin), comeback player of the year (former Capital Jose Theodore), and first team NHL all star nods (Ovechkin and defenseman Mike Green), this is just one more reliable sign that summer is here and hockey isn't. more ›

On a night when the Caps nearly came from behind to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team did something else to help cement their identity as a D.C. institution. With 8:35 remaining in the third period, and both teams readying for a faceoff in the Capitals' defensive end, the team's sound crew played Chuck Brown's "Bustin' Loose" over the arena speaker system. more ›

In a contest of teams built from the ground up by the two best general managers in Washington Capitals history, the Caps beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 last night at the Verizon Center. The two men -- former GM David Poile and current GM George McPhee -- have worked together in the past, when Poile made the best offer for his disgruntled former employee, Brendan Witt. Right now, the Capitals enjoy a 4-0 winning streak over their former boss' squad, the last three of those wins coming in overtime. more ›

Rapper, producer, and D.C. Ambassador Wale made an appearance on ESPN morning-squawker First Take this week to talk hockey -- or as he calls it "professional wrestling, minus the professional wrestling" -- and heap some much-deserved praise on Caps star Alexander Ovechkin. more ›

The Washington Capitals signed NHL MVP Alexander Ovechkin to hockey's first hundred million dollar contract last season, so the Capitals once again boast the league's leading scorer. Welcome back fast-skating, obscenely talented left winger Ovechkin, who likes to warm up for games by playing soccer in Crocs, falls to the ice with joy when he scores, and ignores jellyfish postings when he goes for a swim. more ›

Yes, earlier this week the Caps blew out the Vancouver Canucks by a score of five to one. Yes, they set a team record by only allowing their opponent to take ten shots in that game. But that doesn't mean the Caps are a great team this year, because, as the Vancouver Sun reports, the Vancouver Canucks "weren't, obviously, ready." more ›

Tonight is the NHL's annual awards show. Alexander Ovechkin, who has won both of the NHL's scoring titles, is nominated for both of the league's most valuable player awards as well. more ›

Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's 2006 rookie of the year, has already won 2008's Art Ross trophy and Rocket Richard trophy as the league's top point scorer and goal getter. Now he's finally been named a finalist for the Hart trophy as the league's MVP. more ›

In the column of news that we could have told you months ago, the Capitals have agreed to a long-term contract with coach Bruce Boudreau, who led the team to win 37 of 61 games after taking over midseason. This is the kind of first-season coaching record that will have Caps fans forgetting the triumphant debut of Bruce Cassidy. In the department of news we've been telling you for weeks, Nicklas Backstrom has been officially named one of the three finalists for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year. more ›

It's over. Last night, the Caps lost game seven in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers. They will now face the dreaded eighteen hole golf courses of McLean, and their own personal workout regimens. Led by the season-long heroics of Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Green and Olaf Kolzig, the team came back from 14th in the East at New Years to third place in the East with home ice advantage in their first playoff series in five years. more ›

If the comments on last Friday's Caps Briefing didn't give it away, the Capitals don't get a lot of respect in other cities around the NHL. We had thought this changed in the last month when Alex Ovechkin led the league in goals and points, led the team into the playoffs, and became the consensus pick as the NHL's MVP. Boy were we wrong. more ›

It is a great time to be a Caps Fan. We've seen media coverage of the guy who brings his trumpet to the games and the rock bands who have sung the team's praises. more ›

Friday night the Caps open their first Stanley Cup Playoff series in what feels like twenty-thousand years against the Philadelphia Flyers. The first six games of the series have all been picked up by national television stations. The team's meteoric rise to the playoffs has even inspired a heavy metal theme song. What makes this the most anticipated Capitals playoff series ever? For one thing, there is a great symmetry between the opponents. more ›

Who would have thought that adding former MVP and three time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Fedorov would help a Caps team on the playoff bubble? Who could have predicted that picking up Christobal Huet, last year's NHL leader in save percentage, would make the team noticeably better? If you could have told us that adding these two preeminent veterans without giving up any professional players in return would make a big difference, then we'd like you to reach up and pat yourself on the back. You were so right. more ›

Ovechkin flipped the puck high in the air, spun around in a circle and then batted the falling puck like a baseball. Chris Osgood easily stopped the absurd shot, but the event was judged on style points. more ›