The Capitals defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 Saturday to complete one of the greatest late-season comebacks in hockey history and win the Southeast Division title. The win was the 11th in Washington’s last 12 games and completed a stunning turnaround since Thanksgiving, which saw the team leap from 30th place in the league to third in the Eastern Conference.

In the last month, the Capitals have captured the hearts of Washington sports fans who have desperately longed for a winner and an inspirational story. Not since the Stanley Cup finals run ten years ago has the Verizon Center been host to such an electric hockey atmosphere.

“The fans in the building were so darn loud” said head coach Bruce Boudreau after the win over the Panthers. “They were as starved as the players were to win and you are happy for the people who have paid so much good money and have supported us through the years.”

Boudreau, a top candidate for the Jack Adams award, could just as easily have been talking about the previous two games against Tampa Bay and Carolina. In fact, Thursday’s win over the Lighting drew the highest rating for a Capitals game on regional cable in 11 years.

Fans seem to realize that what they’ve been watching is special. These kinds of winning streaks don’t happen very often in sports, and when they do, everyone takes notice. Then again, it’s easy to root for a team that shares the type camaraderie and never-say-die attitude that Boudreau’s bunch does.

"It was all about pushing through and believing in yourself," Boudreau said. "We had to win seven in a row just to get in. At some point, you think they would get tired of pushing. But they didn't, they were awesome."

For such a young team to have performed that well under such immense pressure night after night is truly incredible. It wasn’t until there four minutes left in the third period during Saturday’s finale that the players and their fan base could collectively begin to exhale. That’s when the “M-V-P” chants began to rain down every time Hart Trophy favorite Alexander Ovechkin hit the ice, marking the beginning of a boisterous celebration.

“This is one of my dreams," said Ovechkin. "Now we're there. Nobody believe in us. They thought we were a done team."

The rest of team has taken after the league-leader in points, who plays with an unrivaled passion for the game. However, it would be a mistake to overlook the considerable skill on the roster.

They have three lines that can score, a blue line corps that can skate with anyone and a stellar goaltender. They’re more than just a Cinderella story – they’re a threat to represent the Eastern Conference in the finals.

How much damage they’ll do in the playoffs is anyone’s guess. Whatever happens, GM George McPhee deserves credit not only for pushing the right buttons during the season, but for carrying out the rebuilding process in full. At his press conference after the season finale, even McPhee was still in shock over what his team had accomplished.

"We just saw history. To push that hard for that long when you had to keep winning, week after week, that's the greatest thing I've ever been around in hockey," said McPhee.

As we all catch our breath before the playoffs begin, it’s safe to say that Capitals fans share the same sentiments.