WASHINGTON — It's a frigid Saturday night in January in Washington D.C., and the Capitals are trailing the lowly Ottawa Senators 2-0 heading into the third period. The 2018 Stanley Cup winners have not delivered on a second championship, and many have wondered if the window of contention has shut.
It's a fair question.
The Capitals will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, their spot secure in a top-heavy Eastern Conference. The core is aging, though, and the goaltending is shaky.
The energy at Capital One Arena is palpable as the third period begins. Alexander Ovechkin, the Caps' 36-year-old ageless wonder of a captain, is—to use a hockey term from a younger generation—buzzin'.