Washington Capitals News – 2013 Capitals Updates
For much of the 21st Century, the Washington Capitals have provided many of the sporting highlights in the nation's capital, while the other professional franchises — the Nationals, Redskins, Wizards, and DC United — were struggling with mediocrity. Much of the Caps success came at the hands and skates of Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin, who was drafted in 2004 but joined the club in 2005 due to the loss of the 2004-05 season. After a pair of struggling seasons, the Caps finally broke into the playoffs in 2008, with the first of four division-leading seasons. However, each of the last five seasons, the Capitals season has fallen short of the goal of hoisting the Stanley Cup, with the team dropping seven-game series in either the first or second round of the playoffs in four of those five seasons. This season, the Caps have gotten off to a slow start and stand at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and
Verizon Center observers are wondering if "Ovie" has lost a little of his luster. Ovechkin is leading the Caps in goals scored, gaining a tie with Troy Brouwer after a recent hat trick (his 11th in his career); while center Mike Ribeiro leads the way in overall points scored and assists. Another center, Nicklas Backstrom, is struggling to put the puck in the net, although he is second on the team in assists. Goaltenders Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth are not making it easy for the Caps to make any progress in the standings, as each goalie is allowing on average over three goals per game while saving less than 90 percent of shots.
Washington Capitals tickets at the Verizon Center average $108 this season. Despite the team's slow start, they continue to be one of the more popular
NHL home teams. Upcoming games on the Caps schedule versus Eastern Conference rivals include the
New York Rangers (3/10),
Buffalo Sabres (3/17),
Boston Bruins (3/5, 4/27), and
Tampa Bay Lightning (4/7, 4/13). Capitals hockey fans can find cheap Washington Capitals tickets from $20-$40 in the Upper Concourse at many 2013 home games, including matchups with the
Carolina Hurricanes and
New York Islanders. Those checking out the Capitals on the road will pay an average of $106, about the same as home games in DC.