For the Washington Capitals, the 1990s held a bit of everything.
The decade began with the Caps coming off their first-ever trip to the then-Wales Conference Final. The Caps had been swept by the Boston Bruins in that playoff series, but there was hope that after so many playoff failures in the 1980s, perhaps the team was ready to break through.
But in the 1990-91 Patrick Division Final, the Caps would be defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games. This was the beginning of the Capitals versus Penguins rivalry, a rivalry that has been decidedly one-sided in the Pens' favor.
The Caps would meet the Pens in the playoffs six times during the 1990s, and the Penguins would win five of those matchups. In three of the five series the Caps lost, they blew two-game leads. They also lost a four-overtime game to the Penguins along the way.
In the 1996-97 season, the Caps' run of 14 straight playoff appearances came to a halt.
Not much was expected from the team for the 1997-98 season. But instead, the Caps stunned everyone by making it to their only Stanley Cup Final in team history before they were unceremoniously swept by th ...
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Article written by Dave Ungar
The 5 Best Washington Capitals of the 1990s
November 9th, 2013 by Dave Ungar Leave a reply »
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