In 1998, the Washington Capitals won the Eastern Conference and found themselves playing for the Stanley Cup for the first and only time in franchise history. They were subsequently swept by the Detroit Red Wings, and haven't been past the second round since. But in 2004, all of that changed when they won the draft lottery and selected superstar Alexander Ovechkin with the first overall pick. On February 2nd 2010, the Caps won their 11th straight game and now sit comfortably atop the Eastern Conference.

In Defense of the Defence

The supposed Achilles heel of the Capitals has been their defense, led by offensive dynamo Mike Green. Labeled as a disaster in his own end, and arguably the 6th forward, Green has improved his defensive game this year, while still leading the league in points by a defencemen. The Capitals defense corp is surprisingly better than most pundits could have predicted. What was once seen as their weakness is actually becoming a strength. The top of the plus/minus chart in the NHL is filled with Caps players. But as for their last line of defense, the goaltending, questions unfortunately still remain. The trio of Jose Theodore, Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth have so far been getting the job done, but picking up a veteran keeper before the deadline might be what Washington needs to get over the hump. Unless Jose Theodore decides this is the year he returns to his Hart trophy winning form.

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