There’s very few things as exciting as a Game 7 in the championship finals of a World Series, NBA or NHL Stanley Cup series.  Tonight’s Game 7 between Vancouver and Boston should be great, riveting action.  Unfortunately, my topic for today, the Washington Capitals, aren’t playing in the Stanley Cup Finals.  Hopefully they will be there next year.

As I hit the half-way mark of my goal of blogging daily in June about Why I like Washington, DC, when it comes to DC sports teams, the Capitals are now at the top of the list.   Yes, this is a football town.  Yes, this is a basketball town.  But, over the past few years, the Caps games are now the hottest sports ticket in town.

Yes, my mentor and good friend is Ted Leonsis, the Caps owner.  But, I’m taking on objective point of view here.  I have partial or full-season tickets to the Capitals, Wizards, Nationals and Hoyas (and I do go to Skins games).   Easily the most exciting and interesting sporting events are the sold-out Caps games at Verizon Center.  It’s not even close.

I went to the Stanley Cup Finals in ’98 and I”ve been a season ticket-holder since ’99.   I’ve been through the ups and downs … from play-off team to a team with one of the worst records and now back to being a perennial play-off contender.

Unlike some of the other DC teams … where there’s often as many if not more fans from the visiting team in the audience (think Lakers, Celtics, Steelers, Phillies, etc), at Caps games it’s nearly 100% Caps.  The fans certainly know how to “rock the red.”

I hope the fans realize that we’re seeing a “once-in-a-generation” player in Alexander Ovechkin, the two-time NHL MVP.   And, he’s surrounded by a tremendous nucleus of talent in Mike Green, Alex Semin, Nicky Backstrom, etc.  It takes to learn how to win in the playoffs (ask the Miami Heat).  Give them time … the Caps will get it together … and once they do, I’d love to see them rip off a couple of Stanley Cups in a row!

It’s June … and the start of next season is a few months away … but with tonight’s Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I can’t help but to think of when the Caps will be in that position.   Let’s go, Caps!