I would like to consider myself an average hockey fan.  I mean, who has the time to watch 82 games per season? So, much like many other hockey fans, I keep track of the Caps standings through most of the season(every season).  I did however name my 4th of five children after Braden Holtby, the Caps All-Star Goalie. What? Braden is a cool name had to come up with a lot names.   ;)

Being a Caps fan has always been bitter sweet.  A great team that ALWAYS finds a way to exit the playoffs early.

My routine on any given season was to keep track of the standings until the playoffs.  Once the playoffs start, I insanely watch my beloved Caps win a few and lose even more while searching for that elusive Stanley Cup playoff win.

Every single year it was the same. The capitals are awesome in the regular season and then lose in the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup winner.  It has  been like pouring salt in the wound.  I'm not talking about a couple of seasons that seam the same. I am talking about DECADES!  YES, decades. 

This year started off the same.  I kept track of the Caps standings off and on through out the season.  They had another solid year.  When the playoffs started, I didn't even care to watch the series with Columbus in the 1st round.  I would listen to the news the next morning to see if they won or not.  The Caps went down 0-2 in the best of four series and was so numb to the decades of pain.  I had completely lost interest.  AND THEN IT HAPPENED. The Caps won a game. Then another, and another. Next thing I know they had won four straight to win the series. I was a bit amazed.

BITTERSWEET!  For winning the Columbus series, we were rewarded with the impossible task of playing the Penguins.  I'll spare the history lesson here for the sake of time. Lets just say, beating the Penguins was a slim to none prospect.  HOWEVER, by this time I was intrigued and wanted to create pain for myself and watch the games.I eagerly waited for our playoff exit-ala-Pittsburg. Six nerve racking games later, the CAPS finally beat the Pens. 

It was at this point that I knew the Washington Capitals were going to win the Stanley Cup.  Some how, some way I just knew it. I didn't care that they had to go through Tampa Bay, arguably the best team in Hockey or eventually the upstart All-Star team from Vegas via the most twisted expansion draft in NHL history.

I was born a year before the Washington Capitals were formed. Four decades later, I experienced a feeling that has been eluding me for sooooo long. And what a feeling it is . I relished every moment of this experience. (yes, even the boobs against the glass-google it!)  For all I know, it may be another 4 decades before I get another Stanley Cup!

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