Brian McNally

Updated: Thu, Apr 25, 2013

The Capitals had to find their own internal motivation for the final two games of the NHL's regular season. With their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs sealed, the results of games with the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins are essentially meaningless. But don't tell that to coach Adam Oates....

Brian McNally

Updated: Wed, Apr 24, 2013

If you're still wondering why Capitals general manager George McPhee signed defenseman John Erskine to a two-year, $3.925 million contract extension earlier this year, games like Tuesday's win over Winnipeg are your answer. Erskine twice saved goals in the first period by himself. The first...

Thom Loverro

Updated: Wed, Apr 24, 2013

Another Southeast Division banner -- the seventh and last -- will hang from the rafters of Verizon Center after the Washington Capitals clinched the division title and a Stanley Cup playoff appearance with a 5-3 win Tuesday night at home. Man, the Caps are sure going to miss the Southeast...

Brian McNally

Updated: Wed, Apr 24, 2013

Aaron Volpatti also receives new deal As summer turned to fall seven months ago, Capitals forward Eric Fehr owned a checkered injury history and was without a job. That made for a long, trying NHL lockout. When the league finally resumed business in early January, Fehr received a second...

Brian McNally

Published: Tue, Apr 23, 2013

Caps head to playoffs for sixth straight year An accomplishment that has become so routine for the Capitals was anything but that this season. For a time, players and coaches wondered if they had enough to overcome a wretched start to the lockout-shortened 2013 season. They did. On Tuesday...

Brian McNally

Updated: Mon, Apr 22, 2013

The pivotal week of the NHL regular season is upon them, and the Capitals know exactly what they need to do to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs. That alone is a victory for a team that began the season 2-8-1 and looked in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 2007. But only...

Brian McNally

Updated: Sun, Apr 21, 2013

The math gets simpler every day for the Capitals. Any combination of four points gained by Washington or lost by Winnipeg hands Washington its fifth Southeast Division title in six years -- and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference that goes with it. That comes on the heels of the Caps'...

associated press

Published: Thu, Apr 18, 2013

Road loss to Senators is first since March OTTAWA -- Kyle Turris scored twice and the Ottawa Senators ended Washington's winning streak at eight games with a 3-1 victory over the Capitals on Thursday night. Cory Conacher also scored and Craig Anderson made 18 saves to help the Senators...

Brian McNally

Updated: Thu, Apr 18, 2013

The longest active playoff streak in North American pro sports is in jeopardy. The last time the Detroit Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup playoffs, the calendar had just flipped to 1990. That 21-year run includes four Stanley Cups and two more losses in the championship series. Few pro sports...

Brian McNally

Updated: Wed, Apr 17, 2013

Forward scoring at a fast clip this year Capitals winger Troy Brouwer is being overshadowed by a host of teammates during his team's eight-game winning streak. That's a decidedly good thing for a team still trying to secure an Eastern Conference playoff spot and a Southeast Division title....