D.C. Warms Up to the Capitals

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IT WASN'T THAT long ago that the Washington Wizards were on the verge of something great and the Washington Capitals were on the cusp of what must have felt like Siberia.

Things change quickly, don't they? Now it is the Capitals who are the team to see at Verizon Center, and the Wizards will soon have to adopt the old Bullets' marketing strategy of promoting the other team.

While there is still room to grow — Alex Ovechkin's snub from the All-Star Game shows Caps fans can be a bit more aggressive — the city seems to be catching on. There have already been more sellouts this season than there were all of last year.

A three-game losing streak was a big deal this week. In recent years, it was common.
It looks like the Capitals are on the same fast track the Pittsburgh Penguins were on in reaching the Stanley Cup finals three years after Sidney Crosby joined the squad.

Ovechkin is the star, but Washington has plenty of good, young players around him such as Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green and Alexander Semin.

Wednesday's win over Pittsburgh seems a bit more important than a typical victory. For one, it ended the recent slide and Ovechkin's scoring slump. But also, the symbolism of beating the Penguins should not be overlooked.

Pittsburgh is falling behind this year while Washington is making progress.
Dare we dream of a Stanley Cup? It's certainly within reach.

Photo by Toni L. Sandys/TWP