The Capitals are going back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs

After beginning the season with so many questions, the Capitals clinched a playoff berth on Thursday night thanks to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Let the madness begin once again: the Washington Capitals are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to Pittsburgh’s 4-3 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. The Penguins victory made it impossible for the Capitals to fall out of a playoff spot no matter what happens next.

Even sillier, Washington’s favorite person ever, Sidney Crosby, sealed the deal in overtime for the Penguins to send the Capitals to the postseason. Maybe the universe has a sense of humor after all.

The Capitals 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night put them in the spot to clinch, thanks to Evgeny Kuznetsov’s overtime goal.

Despite all the offseason losses and negativity heading into this season, the Capitals have found a way back to the postseason, and you can thank none other than Alex Ovechkin for that. The captain has bounced back and then some from last years lackluster season, leading the league with 45 goals and team scoring percentage with 19 percent of Washington’s goals

While Ovechkin is the primary catalyst for the Capitals postseason berth, there are plenty others to credit with this season’s success. Evgeny Kuznetsov has followed up his huge offseason contract with another career year at 77 points. Nicklas Backstrom has bounced back from his slow start for 65 points and John Carlson has had a career year as his contract expires by leading all defensemen with 64 points.

As for goaltending, Braden Holtby kept the Capitals afloat during a slow start to the season, but all the games played over the years, stretching himself as far as humanly possible, and defensive leaks that led to well over 30 saves a game exhausted him into a slump in February and March. To pick up the slack, Phillip Grubauer has made a strong case to be the game one starter for the Capitals come Apr. 11, posting the GAA in the league since November. Some of listed this goalie controversy as an unwanted nuisance for the Capitals, but in reality, there is nothing wrong with having two outstanding goalies for a playoff run.

The playoffs are clinched, but the Capitals work is far from finished. The Capitals are still shooting to lock up the Metropolitan division with five games left, and they only need four points to do so. If everything goes right, they can clinch the division in Pittsburgh to properly thank the Penguins for gifting them a playoff spot. To do so, the Capitals need a win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday before hitting the road and facing the Penguins.

However, clinching the division is not the feat the Capitals are aiming to remember this season. Now, more than ever, they want the Stanley Cup. They want to wash away this legacy of failure that has plagued the franchise ever since its conception in 1974 and break the conference finals curse that has held D.C sports hostage since 1998. This team was the clear-cut favorites at this point over the last two years, now that pressure has been alleviated, but only a little bit, they still have to get the job done.

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Can the city of Washington D.C finally enjoy some playoff success, or are they in for yet another heart-wrenching defeat? Either way, baton down the hatches, because the real fun hasn’t even begun.