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head coach: Ron Wilson

roster: C - Adam Oates, Dale Hunter, Andrei Nikolishin, Michal Pivonka, Mike Eagles. LW - Steve Konowalchuk, Esa Tikkanen, Jeff Toms, Joe Juneau, Todd Krygier. RW - Peter Bondra, Brian Bellows, Craig Berube, Kelly Miller. D - Calle Johansson, Mark Tinordi, Phil Housley, Jeff Brown, Sergei Gonchar, Joe Reekie, Ken Klee. G - Olaf Kolzig, Bill Ranford.

standings:

Eastern Conference - Atlantic Division   
Team           GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA     
z-New Jersey   82  48  23  11   107  225  166  
x-Philadelphia 82  42  29  11    95  242  193
x-Washington   82  40  30  12    92  219  202  
NY Islanders   82  30  41  11    71  212  225  
NY Rangers     82  25  39  18    68  197  231  
Florida        82  24  43  15    63  203  256 
Tampa Bay      82  17  55  10    44  151  269  

x - Clinched playoff spot
z - Clinched conference

team news:

by Jason Sheehan, Washington Correspondent

It was the season of dreams, one the Washington Capitals had never experienced the likes of in 24 years of existence. For a change, everything went their way. There were no quadruple overtime losses in the first round.

Ron Wilson by Meredith Martini

This was a team of destiny that had a run lead them all the way to the Eastern Conference Championship and beyond by utilizing the excellent coaching skills of Ron Wilson and the greatest goaltending seen this side of the solar system from Olaf Kolzig.

Unfortunately, like all good things, this season of dreams came to an end in the Stanley Cup Finals when the Capitals were trounced in four straight by the Detroit Red Wings. That series featured the miss heard round the world in Game 2 when Esa Tikkanen misfired from a couple feet away with an empty net staring him in the face. Had he scored, the Capitals would have won that game, tightened the series at one game apiece and nabbed home-ice advantage.

But it wasn't meant to be.

However, don't think the Capitals stink, because they lost four straight games to Detroit and permanently stalled Wilson's famous clipboard at four. Detroit only won the first three games by a combined three goals. A bounce here and a bounce there and this series could have had a different outcome.

But in the end, Detroit was too powerful and balanced with its potent attack for the jugular. If there's a way you can score, Detroit can do it. Heck, ask a Red Wing to bounce a shot off the scoreboard and past a goalie and he could probably do it. They are just that good.

However, it wasn't a painful sweep. Each goal the Capitals scored in the playoffs became bigger than any single goal in club history. Todd Krygier's overtime winner in Game 2 against Buffalo once stood as the biggest goal in Capitals history. Then, two nights later, Peter Bondra surpassed Krygier's feat by rocketing a slap shot past Dominik Hasek to win Game 3. The Cinderella season of clutch goal scoring didn't end there. Joe Juneau scored the greatest overtime goal in Capitals history when he picked up Brian Bellows's loose trash to send the Sabres packing in Game 6.

Keeping all the hoopla from the great 1997-98 season in mind, it's now time for the annual LCS awards gala.

TEAM MVP: In keeping with the spirit of Team MVP, LCS doesn't use the same watered-downed system used by the National Hockey League in distributing annual awards. Here, the playoffs do matter. After all, most teams are based on how well they do in the playoffs, not the regular season.

Olaf Kolzig by Meredith Martini

If the season had ended before the playoffs, Olaf Kolzig and Peter Bondra would have been dual winners of this prestigious award. Since the Capitals finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, last season's winner, trainer Stan Wong, would have been shut out of this award, despite the fact that Washington lost nearly 500 man-games to injury (more than the 361 lost last year). But injuries never kept the Capitals down for long, thus Wong is ruled ineligible for Team MVP honors.

The winner of this season's award is a no brainer. It's Godzilla. Without the man who dons a fire breathing lizard on his mask, the Capitals would have been buried by the Boston Bruins in the first round. After the Boston series, his spectacular play led the Capitals past Ottawa and then sent Hasek, the winner of the Hart Trophy and Vezina Trophy, blazing to the golf course. Kolzig topped the man declared the best player in the game by the NHL.

As previously mentioned, Detroit would have buried the Capitals if it weren't for Kolzig's stellar play. Washington was seriously outplayed and out-manned by Detroit, yet Kolzig kept the Capitals in the first three games before succumbing to the mighty powerhouse in Game 4.

Kolzig first received an opportunity to become the No. 1 goaltender on opening night in Toronto when Bill Ranford went down with an injury. And he didn't disappoint anyone. He finished the regular season winning three player of the week awards. His numbers were equally outstanding. He nearly tripled his career total in victories by winning 33 games, while only losing 19 and tying 10. His goals-against average stood tall at 2.20 with an impressive save percentage of .920.

Kolzig added an extra element to his game in the playoffs. He tied an all-time mark with four shutouts and won 12 games - many of which came all by himself - and put up solid numbers with a goals-against average of 1.95 and an enormously high save percentage of .941. Those numbers made Hasek wet his pants. No one goaltender killed Kolzig. Only Detroit's powerhouse murdered Godzilla.

SURPRISE: This one is obvious. The biggest surprise from this past season was the Capitals trip to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in team history.

This award usually goes to an individual player, but no one man other than Kolzig was responsible for Washington's heroics. It was a total team effort.

The goals always came when needed as well as the big save that can keep a team away from elimination. Just look at all those overtime winners scored by Bellows, Juneau (twice), Krygier and Bondra. Total team domination.

Another key aspect of team play was present in Washington's road playoff record. Before losing two games in Detroit, the Capitals had lost just one road game - which happened in Game 3 against Ottawa - while winning seven. Opposing crowds never posed a problem. Instead, rowdy fans clinging from the rafters just made the Capitals play better.

DISAPPOINTMENT: Look no further than at defenseman Phil Housley as the Capitals biggest disappointment. How bad was Mr. Housley? Well, Wilson lost all faith in him. By the time the playoffs began, he only saw ice team with his team on the power play.

Look in the dictionary under the term "defensive liability," and you may see a picture of Housley riding the pine next to the backup goaltender. It all depends on which edition of a dictionary you have. Obviously, older dictionaries don't have pictures of Housley, because he hadn't broken into the league yet. Heck, just use common sense and that will get you through the bible of life.

General manager George McPhee probably hoped Housley would be taken in the expansion draft by Nashville GM David Poile (formerly the Capitals GM). However, the unprotected defensive liability was not chosen, proving that Poile must have learned a lot from watching Housley play in the 1996-97 season. Poile instead took one-month wonder Andrew Brunette from the Capitals.

Now, the Capitals are forced to keep Housley for another season, because of one smart agent with the savvy of HBO's Arliss Michaels who enforced a no-trade clause in Housley's contract. So, Capitals fans, prepare for another year of blue line terror from Housley and 30-plus minutes of ice-time from players such as Sergei Gonchar, Mark Tinordi, Joe Reekie and Calle Johansson.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES: The summer carousel has already begun to churn in the Nation's Capital. Although the motor will not begin humming at full force until July 1, the Capitals already know the fate of one player.

Esa Tikkanen likely won't return next season. Washington announced that they won't grant Tikkanen his option year at the NHL Draft.

Tikkanen was acquired for the playoff run last season. Although he was a major factor in the first two rounds by shadowing Boston's Jason Allison and Ottawa's Alexei Yashin, his play faltered in the last two rounds. Tikkanen scored three goals in the post-season but will always be remembered for the one he missed in Game 2 against Detroit. He also deflected two shots into his own net - one against Ottawa and one against Buffalo.

Heading into this off-season, the Capitals find themselves in a position they've never been in before. That position: free agents will no longer shun the Capitals. In the past, Brendan Shanahan had said he refused to wear a Capitals sweater. Instead, he opted for Hartford, a city that no longer has a team and a franchise that has suffered years of agony.

The biggest fish in the pond Washington will be trying to attract is Brett Hull. Hull, who has played in St. Louis since 1988, was told June 30 that he won't be re-signed by the Blues. Rumors have Hull going to Chicago, where his father Bobby spent many glorious seasons. But Hull may not follow his father's best wishes. Instead, he will probably play for the team willing to give him the most money and the team that has a good opportunity at winning a championship.

With that in mind, the Capitals have an excellent chance at signing Hull. His greatest seasons came with Adam Oates centering his line. Oates was notorious for setting up his glorious one-timers that buzzed into the open twine. Those were the years when Hull became a legit NHL superstar by scoring 70-plus goals a season.

Besides that, Oates has petitioned Hull's name to Capitals management. It may not be long until Oates' wish is granted.

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