Photo by rjv541

In the history of the Washington Capitals, only one goalie has carried the team to the Stanley Cup Finals. That goalie retired today, after a decade in D.C. and a brief curtain call with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Olaf Kolzig may not play in the NHL any longer, but Caps fans will always remember him as one of the most dedicated, team-focused players in Washington history.

Caps fans called him “Godzilla,” because he was one of the biggest goalies in the NHL and loomed like a monster across the comparatively tiny goalposts. Kolzig drew national headlines for winning fights with other goalies, scoring a goal in juniors and carrying a Caps team without very much offensive firepower all the way to the brink of a championship. Of course, the Caps lost in 1998 to a Detroit Red Wings team that may have had more skill than any team since, including recent Capital Sergei Fedorov on its second line and new addition Mike Knuble as a spare part.

In his last couple years with the Caps, Kolzig showed excellent sportsmanship by agreeing to stay with the team while it dismantled its roster and rebuilt around young talent like Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. Unfortunately, his knees did not last long enough to carry the Caps to another Stanley Cup Final. In the Spring of 2008, the Caps traded for Cristobal Huet, who was supposed to be about as good as Kolzig. Huet quickly went on a hot streak to win 19 out of 20 starts, taking away Kolzig’s starting job just when the Caps had finally gotten back into the playoffs again.