After 36 years without a championship - including an all-time stinker of a 1974-75 debut season in which they won just eight times in 80 games - fans of the Washington Capitals must be wondering whether this is finally the year when it all comes to together in a Stanley Cup climax.
There are a lot of things to like about the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals, who tied a team record with their 10th consecutive win, a 3-2 success over Tampa Bay Lightning, on Sunday night.
For starters, they have got a 23-point bulge in the race for the Southeast Division title.
The other teams in the division - the Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and the Lightning - are much more likely to miss the post-season altogether than mount any kind of challenge for the division title.
With a third of the campaign yet to be played, Washington are secure in the knowledge they are virtually guaranteed divisional supremacy and the top-three play-off seed that comes with it.
It has been a long time coming for a franchise that missed the play-offs in their first eight seasons and advanced beyond the second round of the post-season just once in their first 23 years.
Even Washington's lone trip to the Stanley Cup final in 1998 saw them unceremoniously swept by Detroit in four forgettable games.
They missed the play-offs the next year, failing to build any momentum on their first significant foray into the post-season.
Their first-round victory over the New York Rangers last spring - in which they rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit - was the Capitals' first play-off series win since then.
The way things are going, Washington may finally be ready to build on their success rather than stumble backwards. If the Caps' recent play is any indication, the team that pushed the Pittsburgh Penguins, the eventual cup champions, to a seventh game in the second round last season might be poised for even greater things.
They are on fire offensively, with 214 goals in 55 games. Washington have 27 more goals - about half-a-goal per game - than the NHL's second highest scoring team, the San Jose Sharks, and 39 more than the second highest scoring team in the East, Pittsburgh.
Alex Ovechkin's team can score - and it is not just the 24-year-old who is doing it.
Three other young players - forwards Nicklas Backstrom, 22, and Alexander Semin, 25, and defenceman Mike Green, 24 - are on pace for 80-plus point seasons, and no fewer than 10 Capitals players have a chance of scoring 20 goals.
In fact, Washington are on pace for 320 goals this season, which would be the most by any NHL team since 1995-96.
The down side in DC?
It is no secret - the Caps' defence and goaltending are somewhat suspect, and those just happen to be the two areas that play a big part in post-season success.
The goaltender Semyon Varlamov, last season's surprise play-off hero, has suffered through an injury-hit campaign, and supposed starter Jose Theodore has also been in and out of the line-up.
Theodore should be back soon enough, but the Caps are hoping for a healthy return from Varlamov, who is 12-1-2 on the season and his goals-against average (2.21) and save percentage (92.4) are significantly superior to Theodore's numbers (2.86 and 90.6).
Look for the Caps to be shopping for a bona fide stay-at-home defenceman - or two - and maybe even some netminding help between now and the NHL trade deadline.
If they make the right moves before March 3, they may be marching in a parade in June.
@Email:sports@thenational.ae
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m. Winner: Majd Al Megirat, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Shehhi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: Dassan Da, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Heba Al Wathba, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Harbour Spirit, Adrie de Vries, Jaber Ramadhan.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars