The Stanley Cup championship run made the Washington Capitals the toast of the town. After four-consecutive Metropolitan Division crowns, along with breaking through their own glass ceiling, the Caps are in the rare position to make Washington a true hockey town.
Although the team has found on-ice success since the early 1980s, playoff frustration left fans cold. No 3-1 series lead was safe. Yes, the 1997-98 squad broke through to reach the finals, but Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig were denied in short order by the Detroit Red Wings.
That Caps run was the last time any of the Big Four pro teams from Washington made the semifinals.