The Washington Capitals are a professional hockey team based in Washington, D.C., and have been members of the NHL since the 1974 season. They came into the league as an expansion team and had a rough start, but have had many successful seasons between then and the present. They are hoping to build on their success of reaching the playoffs last season, as they have high hopes for the 2008 season.
First founded in 1974, the Capitals entered the NHL as an expansion team and had a difficult time competing with the many other established teams of the NHL. The inaugural season is one to be forgotten, as they finished with the worst record in the league at 8-67-5, and they still hold the record for the worst winning percentage in NHL history. The following years up until 1983 were much of the same, as they remained one of the worst teams in the league. They finally reached the playoffs after the 1983, and became a contender for the playoffs for the next 14 years. Despite their regular season success, they were never ever to carry it over to the postseason.
The Capitals are still in search for their first Stanley Cup championship, and they are hoping that this upcoming season will be the one. After a slow start to the 2007 season, they finished their season strong, and were once again in the playoffs. They are hoping to finally figure a way to clear that postseason hurdle.
