The first time the Capitals ever really felt their oats was during the franchise's third season. In 1976-77, the Caps won 24 games, more than their first two seasons combined.When the team fashioned its first 3 game win streak, the AP wrote, "Having gone to bed hungry so many times, their third consecutive good dinner brought satisfied smiles." Goalie Ron Low, a 7-5 winner in New York, said, "The guys knew they were going to win before the game. I didn't, but they did."
The streak prompted an ad promoting upcoming games (opponents include the long-gone Cleveland Barons and Colorado Rockies).
Coach Tom McVie, flanked by three of his players, says in the ad, "Every single time we take the ice we expect to win... We don't bust our tails in two-a-day practices and expect to lose."
Now, flash forward to the mid 1980's. The slogan, "Nobody Expected Us To...", became "Everyone Expects Us To"...
The more you study this 1988 photo, the more remarkable (and frustrating) it becomes. To think that Mike Gartner, Rod Langway, and Scott Stevens - 3 future Hall of Famers - played in their prime on the same Capitals team.The 1980's Capitals thrilled fans by piling up monster regular season win totals. But Gartner, Langway and Stevens ultimately were all dressed up with nowhere to go - not one Stanley Cup while in Washington. How could that be?
Defenseman Larry Murphy disputes that these Caps teams failed to meet expectations. "We just didn't have the complete personnel," Murphy told USA Today. "(We) got the most out of what we had. I never considered us underachievers."
Langway, meanwhile, has suggested that stellar goaltending was the missing piece. Rod also revealed that when the Caps did reach the conference finals in 1990, both he and Stevens were playing with separated shoulders.
All 3 did earn rings - with other teams. Gartner may not wear his; he was traded by the Rangers just before they won the Cup in 1994. Gartner played 1,554 NHL games, but not a single one in the Finals.