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NHL Playoffs 2021: 3 reasons Washington Capitals will win Stanley Cup

By Dave Stevenson

Mar 28, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) celebrates with teammates during the third period of the game against the New York Rangers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) celebrates with teammates during the third period of the game against the New York Rangers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

The surging Washington Capitals have all the pieces necessary to win their second Stanley Cup of the Alex Ovechkin era. 

After winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Washington Capitals have made two consecutive first-round exits out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For a team looking to win as soon as possible, that simply wasn’t acceptable. They made some changes in the offseason, firing head coach Todd Reirden and replacing him with Peter Laviolette and they also brought in legendary leader Zdeno Chara to bolster their defense.

Just a few weeks ago, the Capitals swapped fan favorite forward Jakub Vrana, useful forward Richard Panik, and two high draft picks for Anthony Mantha. It wasn’t a very popular decision, but in a small sample size, Mantha has been worth the price with six points in seven games. Along with fellow trade deadline acquisition Michael Raffl, he has posted impressive underlying numbers.

These changes have paid off significantly for the Capitals. Entering April 29, they sit in first place in the MassMutual East Division and appear ready to make a long postseason run.

Can the Capitals win the Stanley Cup?

The Capitals have pretty much everything you want to see in a Stanley Cup contender. Their path to the Stanley Cup Final won’t be easy, as the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be brutally tough and deep. Even emerging from the East Division is far from a given, with the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins, battle-tested Boston Bruins, and relentless New York Islanders all hoping to lift Lord Stanley this year.

And even if the Capitals are the last team standing from the East Division, they’ll most likely have either the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, or Carolina Hurricanes waiting for them in the Eastern Conference Final. There’s a reason the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in sports.

With all of that said, the Capitals have the ammunition necessary to win. Let’s take a look at why Caps fans should be very optimistic about their team’s chances of bringing home another Stanley Cup.

Stats are from NHL.com and Natural Stat Trick

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