Watch fans in D.C. lose their minds as Washington Capitals win Stanley Cup
By David Rouben
The Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and the hometown fans celebrated harder than anyone could’ve imagined.
Winning the Stanley Cup is one thing. Winning the first Cup in franchise history and the state’s first championship in 26 years is another.
That’s what was at stake for the Washington Capitals heading into this Cup Final, but after dropping a barnburner of an opening game, they looked dominant the rest of the way.
Fans in D.C. gathered in droves to watch the Capitals try to clinch the Cup before Game 5. Capital One Arena was packed to capacity, while there was a massive gathering outside 7th street as well. The outdoor viewing party was for fans that couldn’t get into the arena, and it sold out in 20 minutes!
It wasn’t as easy to watch as Game 4, as the Capitals exchanged five goals with the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period and found themselves trailing, but Devante Smith-Pelly and Lars Eller closed the deal.
When the clock finally hit zeroes — after temporarily breaking — Capitals fans went nuts. Here’s what Capital One Arena looked like moments later:
MAYHEM!!! #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/jjpzFZqXgZ
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 8, 2018
And these are the scenes in the streets of D.C.:
This is the scene OUTSIDE the Capitals watch party in D.C. the crowd that couldn't get inside pic.twitter.com/rCeIZHqFoU
— Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan) June 8, 2018
LIVE: Washington Capitals fans celebrate first ever #StanleyCup. https://t.co/HGng2M3o44 https://t.co/09HJCkpeLc
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 8, 2018
That’s a Fandom 250 moment if we’ve ever seen one.
This party is going to continue well into the night. Hopefully, the police learned a thing or two from Philadelphia’s celebrations earlier this year and prevent it from getting too out of hand. Although they may have forgotten to grease the poles, so we should at least expect to see some of that.
Next: 25 most insane things people have ever done with the Stanley Cup
The only other time the Capitals played in a Stanley Cup Final, they got swept. Even the most optimistic fans couldn’t have predicted they’d see this in their wildest dreams, and for that, they deserve to cherish this moment for as long as they live.
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