Usman Altafullah couldn’t help it: He wept, and the man next to him gave him a hug. They didn’t know each other — and it didn’t matter.
Altafullah, a 31-year-old cybersecurity manager from Rosslyn, Virginia, wiped away tears and looked at the jumbotron. He couldn’t believe it: Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals were headed to the Stanley Cup Final. He cheered at the top of his lungs.
Around the District, there are plenty of fans like Altafullah — ecstatic that the Capitals earned their first finals appearance in 20 years with a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.