Matt Hendricks News

Tom Wilson got his first taste of the NHL in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But that doesn't necessarily mean he's a shoo-in to make the Washington Capitals' 2013-14 opening night roster.

The Washington Capitals searched for a second-line center for the past few years.

The scars of past postseason disappointments that line the skin of the Washington Capitals barely have enough time to fade before another open wound forms and begins to fester.

Nick WassAP Capitals goalie Braden Holtby allowed a first-period goal to Rangers' Michael Del Zotto in the second period of New York's Game 7 win Monday.

The Capitals were upset with a lot of calls on Sunday in a 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers.

Playoff success never is a tidy matter for the Washington Capitals. Regardless of seeding, venue or series advantage, their history is marked by struggle and, ultimately, disappointment this time of year.

Tom Wilson didn't see much ice in his NHL debut, but when he did get off the bench he seemed to come as advertised.

If there was no glass around the dasher boards, Mike Ribeiro might have run all the way into the stands.

It is not a dream anymore. Capitals rookie forward Tom Wilson , in the OHL playing junior hockey two weeks ago and in the AHL as recently as Wednesday, will make his NHL debut tonight in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

With Martin Erat sidelined indefinitely by an injured left wrist or forearm, the Capitals shifted their forward lineup and were in need of a fourth-line right wing to play with Matt Hendricks and Jay Beagle.

This nod by the league's general managers, who vote for the Vezina, is the fifth time the 31-year-old has been one of the three top vote-getters for the award.

John Erskine left Game 3 with an undisclosed injury after the Capitals defenseman took a big hit from Rangers captain Ryan Callahan late in the first period.

Eric Fehr made his hockey career out of scoring goals, more so than lying down to put his body in front of pucks.

Few expected the drastic difference in the 2011-12 Washington Capitals from game 82 of the regular season to Game 1 of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins .

Matt Hendricks of the Washington Capitals drives with the puck in a game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in March.

Joel Ward has been dealing with a bruised left knee for almost a month, and it remained uncertain Wednesday if the injury will keep the Washington Capitals right wing out for Game 1 against the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin, of Russia, skates during NHL hockey practice at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

During the 2013 Stanley Cup quarterfinal round between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, Capitals fans are invited to participate in several activities to kick off the postseason.

That was 1997-98, when the Capitals advanced to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time, when Oates the player had six goals and 11 assists in the postseason.

Rob Carr/Getty Images Since Mike Green returned from injury, the defenseman has tallied 10 goals and nine assists as the Capitals ended the regular season on a 15-2-2 run.