NHL 2016-2017 (mature story 1)

Thursday, October 13th began as a promising and exciting day for any Capitals fan - myself included. That morning was filled with an overwhelming sense of hope and determination that only comes with an opportunity for redemption - and even the slightest bit of revenge. At 2 pm Eastern time, began the first game of the hockey season for the D.C. resident Capitals. Not only was it the first game, but it was against the winners of the 2016 Stanley Cup, and the team that caused the downfall of the Caps in the 2016 playoffs in the 3rd round -

The game started out promising - Andre Burakovsky, a charming, young, up-and-coming star, made the first goal of the game. The Capitals held their own until the 3rd period when the game was tied, by which time each team had a few goals under their belt. At the final buzzer, the score was tied 2-2 and subsequently continued into overtime. By the end of OT neither Pittsburgh or Washington had scored - which resulted in a shootout and a strong, sickening sense of nostalgia towards those four lost games in the Caps' final round of playoffs last year.

Alexander Ovechkin, team captain and an inspiration to many stepped up to face a personal challenge of his - shootouts were often his responsibility but had never been his strength. With the adrenaline of thousands of fans coursing through him, he stepped up to make the shot - and was ultimately unsuccessful.

As with so many past games against these rivals, it came down not to an issue of skill or teamwork - they held there own until the very last second where it came down to pretty much a matter of who can out-smart the other.

Nonetheless, I have confidence that 2017 is our year - with a team based off of the same key players as last year and few rising stars, the Capitals have every chance in the world to grab the cup that they just barely missed out in 2016. This is our year, our season, our time - GO CAPS!!

PC: NHL https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ohiochatter.com%2Fforum%2Fshowthread.php%3F5821-Washington-Capitals-at-Pittsburgh-Penguins-Crosby-vs-Ovechkin!&bvm=bv.135974163,d.cGc&psig=AFQjCNE3ol3sR6LObIQRBuij6OonbKLw0Q&ust=1476848700006792