Stars and Sticks
Fansided

Greatest Washington Capitals Lineup of All Time

By Michael Marzzacco

WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 4: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates goal during a NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders on December 4, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 4: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates goal during a NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders on December 4, 2008 at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Third Line

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 07: Alexander Semin #28 of the Washington Capitals takes a shot against Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 7, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 07: Alexander Semin #28 of the Washington Capitals takes a shot against Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 7, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Left wing: Alexander Semin 2008-09

Center: Evgeny Kuznetsov 2017-18

Right wing: Dave Christian 1985-86

The most interesting thing about this line is that neither player played with each other. All three come from a different era, a different generation of Capitals fandom memory. Alex Ovechkin got all the headlines in the better part of this century but one of the earliest sidekicks in his era was another Alex. Alexander Semin was drafted at 13th overall just two years prior to the Capitals taking Ovechkin. Semin finished with 20 or more goals in six of his seven seasons in Washington. Semin’s best season came in 2008-09 where he scored a career-high 40 goals and 44 assists.

evgeny kuznetsov
PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 07: Evgeny Kuznetsov #92 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his overtime goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 7, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Evgeny Kuznetsov is a shaky selection for this list but when you factor in a season where he was on his game, such as the regular season and playoffs of 2017-18, it makes total sense. Kuznetsov posted 27 goals and 56 assists in the regular season and had a remarkable playoff performance leading the Capitals with 32 points while adding 12 goals and 20 assists. This is the “playoff Kuzy” worthy for this list and the one version Capitals fans would like to see of Kuznetsov going forward.

BOSTON, MA. – 1990’s: Dave Christian #27 of the Washington Capitals skates against the Boston Bruins at the Boston Garden. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA. – 1990’s: Dave Christian #27 of the Washington Capitals skates against the Boston Bruins at the Boston Garden. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Dave Christian is from Warroad, Minnesota, the same town where T.J. Oshie grew up. Coming from a hockey family, Christian was a member of the 1980 USA Miracle on Ice team. Christian played on five different NHL teams, first being drafted by the Winnipeg Jets and continuing for seven years as a member of the Capitals. His 1985-86 season saw him score 41 goals and add 42 assists and Christian had his best offensive seasons as a member of the Capitals. He finished with 417 points (193 goals, 224 assists) in 504 games.

You can call this third line a clutch line in a sense with proven playoff winners on both the NHL and international stage plus an sidekick from Ovechkin’s early reign of dominating the league.

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