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Two years ago, the Washington Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 and became Eastern Conference Champions

By Ian Oland

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May 23, 2020 10:43 pm

On May 23, 2018, at 10:43 PM, the Washington Capitals became Eastern Conference Champions and earned a berth to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in two decades. The Capitals accomplished the feat 16 days after exorcising their demons against the Pittsburgh Penguins, advancing past the second round of the playoffs for the first time in the Alex Ovechkin Era.

Ovechkin scored one of the biggest goals of his career that night, tallying the game-winner on his first shift.

The Capitals would add three more goals and win 4-0.

After the game, Braden Holtby cried on the ice.

Game highlights

Former Capitals head coach Barry Trotz set the tone headed into the night. During the team’s morning skate, the coach took the team’s hot lap from Ovechkin and ambled around the ice as quickly as he could to start practice. The players hooted and hollered.

“They called my number, and at this time of year, you’re all-in,” Trotz said. “I was a little bit worried about the turns because the rudders haven’t been sharpened all year. You didn’t see a lot of crossovers there. I used body mass and weight to dig in there.”

“He was fast,” Ovechkin joked to reporters.

After winning the first two games of the series in Tampa Bay, the Capitals lost their first two games at home and Game Five in Tampa. Down 3-2, they tied the Eastern Conference Final after winning Game 6, 3-0. Their first shift of Game 7, they essentially won the game.

Tom Wilson forced a turnover in open ice. After gaining the neutral zone, Wilson sent a back pass to Evgeny Kuznetsov who then found the Russian machine in his office for a one-timer. Ovechkin ripped a bullet past Andrei Vasilevskiy for the 1-0 lead.

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Later in the period, Tom Wilson would fight Braydon Coburn after the Lightning defenseman ripped Kuznetsov’s jersey off his head. Wilson won decisively.

Andre Burakovsky would add two clutch second-period goals.

And Nicklas Backstrom added an empty netter, that was actually pushed over the goal line by Jay Beagle.

The Prince of Wales Trophy was theirs. Alex Ovechkin was going to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time.

Ovi hugged Nicklas Backstrom.

And the team took a photo with the Prince of Wales Trophy.

During a postgame press conference, Holtby told Ovi, who was stumbling with his words, “You’re doing great, babe.”

Caps fans took to the streets of DC. They changed, “We want Vegas.”

What a night.

View all of RMNB’s coverage of Game Seven

Headline photo courtesy of NBC Sports

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