Washington Capitals: 5 Reasons Why the Capitals Are Stanley Cup Bound

I attended last night's hockey game between the Florida Panthers and the Washington Capitals, watching the Capitals win in a 3-0 shutout. It was my first NHL game, and it was a great game at that.

In that game, the Capitals set a team record for greatest start to a season, with six straight wins. 

The question is: Is this a sign that the Washington Capitals are ready to finally shake the proverbial playoff monkey off their back and claim what is rightfully theirs? 

I believe, both professionally and personally, that the team is definitely ready to become the team that they should be—a team of champions—and that the team has five good reasons why they are good enough. 

Without further ado, here are the five reasons why the Capitals are ready to claim their rightful place in the annals of hockey history.

Reason 1: The Perpetual Goalie Problem Is Solved

Gone are the days of goalie ineptitude in the capital, thanks to the Caps' two talented netminders, Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth

After dumping failed former first rounder Semyon Varlamov in Colorado, the team went south to sign the Florida Panthers goalie, Tomas Vokoun.

Vokoun, dismissed for being too old (he is 35 years old), has proven that not only is he still in his prime (95 saves, four wins), but he is a real veteran presence on a team that has needed older guidance since the loss of Sergei Federov. 

Not surprisingly enough, Vokoun started in the net last night against the Panthers. 

As for the backup, Michal Neuvirth, he served as the goalie in the playoffs last year, helping to unseat the Rangers before ultimately succumbing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Neuvirth, who is still young, provides the team with a steady hand, and is the ideal backup should Vokoun ultimately fail in DC. 

Reason 2: A Team That Has Largely Remained Untouched in Terms of Its Core

The popular myth these days is that the more new stars you add, the more likely you are bound to win a championship. 

This has been proven by the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles, the 2010 Miami Heat and the 2002 New York Yankees, who tossed out their fully functional old stars to replace them with shinier new ones. 

The Capitals core consists of Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom—a group that has remained largely unchanged since they were drafted. No major stars have been acquired to supplement the group, and this has proven to be effective, as the team has made the playoffs every year sine 2007-2008.   

In a sense, the Capitals have their own "Big Three," each a developed talent, rather than a trade or free agent acquisition. 

Reason 3: The Lesser Players Are Scoring More

In the Panthers game, only one member of the Caps' Big Three scored a goal—Alexander Semin. 

The other two goals were scored by Caps regulars Jason Chimera and Marcus Johansson.

The beauty of this is that the team relies on an "everybody scores" philosophy. As of now, it's Jason Chimera—not any of the big stars—who leads the team in goals, with four. The leader of the Big Three is Alexander Semin, who has half the amount that Chimera has. 

Granted, this is only the beginning of the year, and there will likely be more opportunities for any of the Big Three to score, but the philosophy of "everybody scores" seems to work just fine, for now. 

Reason 4: No Team Will Be Able to Take the Top Spot from the Capitals

Washington fans should not fear the teams in the Southeast Division. Only Tampa Bay and Carolina seem playoff bound, but they cannot possibly be a serious threat to take the top spot at the end of the year. 

Carolina has Eric Staal and Cam Ward—a good combination—but behind them, there is much to be desired. 

Tampa Bay has their own version of the Big Three in Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos. A trio that would normally strike fear into the hearts of other teams, they will be a challenge for the Capitals, but get past them and everybody else and you have Dwayne Roloson, a former backup.

I know, from my previous years as an Islanders fan, that Roloson is terrible and easier to beat than an egg, so it shouldn't be a problem for the Caps.

As for the other East challengers, here are the two other top spot candidates:

Boston Bruins. The Stanley Cup Champions are led by Nathan Horton, Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara. These days, Chara is only good at instigating fights, but Horton and Thomas are tough to beat. Expect them to pose a serious threat to the Caps.

Pittsbugh Penguins. Evengi Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Marc-Andre Fleury—now that's a trio worth mentioning. Malkin and Fleury will be stable anchors for the duration of the season, but Crosby is still hurting from last year. The reason why they won't be able to top the Caps is because they have already been beaten by them and, thus, will be reeling from the humiliation.

Reason 5: The Caps Should Be Motivated Enough to Win It All

What motivates teams to succeed? Disappointment.

Certainly, no team in the National Hockey League is more disappointed in themselves than the Capitals. They have made the playoffs for the past four seasons, only to have their seasons end abruptly at the hands of another team. 

Here are the Capitals playoff results for the past four seasons:

2011: Lost to Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-0

2010: Lost to Montreal in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, 4-3

2009: Lost to Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-3

2008: Lost to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, 4-3

In three of the last four seasons, the Capitals have been one game away from advancing. However, this year, they should be resilient enough to pull through the entire playoffs, albeit with a few losses, because of determination.

In conclusion, we can determine that the Capitals will be ready this year to finally lift the famous Stanley Cup. Who they will beat will still remain a mystery until the playoffs come.