The Capitals have not stopped partying since winning the Stanley Cup

Jack Baer
·Staff writer

When Alex Ovechkin’s first pitch at Nationals Park sailed over the head of a crouched Max Scherzer, the Washington Capitals superstar could have been forgiven for needing a mulligan. When you win a Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy and cement yourself as one of the most beloved athletes in D.C. history you earn that right.

But there’s another reason to cut Ovechkin some slack for his errant pitch, and that is because, according to our best available evidence, the Russian and his teammates have spent the last 48 hours drinking an unfathomable amount of alcohol. And they aren’t stopping.

Capitals celebrate Stanley Cup win in Vegas

The party started the second the Capitals hit the locker room after their Game 5 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights to clinch the Stanley Cup, with the traditional beer-drenched celebrations and singing. That was the starting point.

Once everyone was changed, the Capitals hit the town, with Ovechkin carrying their 35-pound trophy across the city. The team visited the MGM Grand, partied with DJ Tiesto and, of course, chugged champagne out of the Stanley Cup into the wee hours of the morning.

By the time the team boarded its flight back to Washington D.C., Ovechkin was passed out and cuddling the trophy that had eluded him throughout his storied career. The 32-year-old definitely needed some rest, especially when you consider what the Capitals were going to do in their first full day in D.C.

Capitals visit Nationals Park

It defies belief, but the Capitals seemto have somehow increased their drinking after moving from Vegas to D.C. The day began bright and early at Nationals Park, where the entire team was in attendance for Ovechkin’s two first pitches, as well as a press conference and photo ops.

Alex Ovechkin and co. are having the time of their lives celebrating the Capitals’ Stanley Cup win. (AP Photo)
Alex Ovechkin and co. are having the time of their lives celebrating the Capitals’ Stanley Cup win. (AP Photo)

Two Capitals stars were pretty honest when asked how many hours of sleep they were operating on, per the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan.

Have they slept since winning the franchise’s first championship in Las Vegas on Thursday night?

“Here and there,” center Nicklas Backstrom said.

“Not much,” defenseman John Carlson said. “A couple naps.”

The drinking even seemed to get to Ovechkin, whose teammates played around with the phrase that has morphed into the name of a popular Capitals blog.

The team, of course, powered through it, as shown by the amount of empty beer cans before them once the actual baseball game, which the Nationals won 7-5, was underway. The fun continued with singing, chugging and showing off hockey’s ultimate prize.

Once the game was over, the party continued.

Drunken Capitals ransack Washington D.C.

Among the activities the Capitals took part in: sneaking into bars, dancing in fountains, getting tattoos, doing keg stands out of the Stanley Cup and meeting Ivanka Trump at the posh Cafe Milano. Yes, one of those activities is not like the others.

What’s truly terrifying is that we haven’t even reached the team’s Stanley Cup parade, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning. If the team itself is any indication, D.C. liquor stores better stock up for what is sure to be a raucous celebration in Washington.

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