The 1988–89 Washington Capitals season saw the team became the first team other than the Philadelphia Flyers or the New York Islanders to finish in first place in the Patrick Division with a 41–29–10 record for 92 points. However, they lost their first-round playoff match-up to the Philadelphia Flyers, four games to two. This was the first time the Capitals won their division in the regular season and did not do so again until 2000.
Regular season
The Capitals tied the St. Louis Blues for most shutouts in the league, with 6.
Final standings
Record vs. opponents
Schedule and results
|1||L||October 7, 1988||4–6 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) ||0–1–0
|2||W||October 8, 1988||6–2 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) ||1–1–0
|3||L||October 11, 1988||7–8 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) ||1–2–0
|4||L||October 14, 1988||1–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1988–89) ||1–3–0
|5||W||October 15, 1988||8–5 || align="left"| New Jersey Devils (1988–89) ||2–3–0
|6||L||October 19, 1988||1–5 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1988–89) ||2–4–0
|7||L||October 21, 1988||1–4 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1988–89) ||2–5–0
|8||L||October 23, 1988||2–3 || align="left"| @ Winnipeg Jets (1988–89) ||2–6–0
|9||W||October 25, 1988||4–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1988–89) ||3–6–0
|10||T||October 28, 1988||2–2 OT|| align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1988–89) ||3–6–1
|11||L||October 29, 1988||3–4 OT|| align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1988–89) ||3–7–1
|12||T||November 1, 1988||3–3 OT|| align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1988–89) ||3–7–2
|13||W||November 4, 1988||4–2 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1988–89) ||4–7–2
|14||L||November 5, 1988||3–4 OT|| align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1988–89) ||4–8–2
|15||W||November 10, 1988||4–1 || align="left"| Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) ||5–8–2
|16||L||November 12, 1988||3–6 || align="left"| New Jersey Devils (1988–89) ||5–9–2
|17||W||November 15, 1988||4–2 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1988–89) ||6–9–2
|18||W||November 18, 1988||3–2 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1988–89) ||7–9–2
|19||W||November 19, 1988||3–2 || align="left"| @ New Jersey Devils (1988–89) ||8–9–2
|20||W||November 22, 1988||4–2 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1988–89) ||9–9–2
|21||W||November 23, 1988||7–6 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1988–89) ||10–9–2
|22||L||November 25, 1988||3–5 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) ||10–10–2
|23||W||November 27, 1988||4–3 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1988–89) ||11–10–2
|24||W||November 29, 1988||4–3 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1988–89) ||12–10–2
|25||L||November 30, 1988||4–6 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) ||12–11–2
|26||T||December 3, 1988||1–1 OT|| align="left"| Boston Bruins (1988–89) ||12–11–3
|27||W||December 6, 1988||4–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) ||13–11–3
|28||L||December 7, 1988||1–5 || align="left"| @ New Jersey Devils (1988–89) ||13–12–3
|29||T||December 10, 1988||0–0 OT|| align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) ||13–12–4
|30||W||December 11, 1988||6–4 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) ||14–12–4
|31||W||December 13, 1988||4–1 || align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) ||15–12–4
|32||L||December 15, 1988||1–4 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) ||15–13–4
|33||W||December 17, 1988||6–3 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1988–89) ||16–13–4
|34||L||December 19, 1988||1–3 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1988–89) ||16–14–4
|35||W||December 21, 1988||4–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Blackhawks (1988–89) ||17–14–4
|36||T||December 23, 1988||2–2 OT|| align="left"| New York Rangers (1988–89) ||17–14–5
|37||W||December 27, 1988||4–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) ||18–14–5
|38||W||December 30, 1988||5–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) ||19–14–5
|39||L||December 31, 1988||4–6 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1988–89) ||19–15–5
|40||W||January 2, 1989||8–0 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) ||20–15–5
|41||T||January 4, 1989||3–3 OT|| align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1988–89) ||20–15–6
|42||W||January 6, 1989||3–0 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1988–89) ||21–15–6
|43||W||January 7, 1989||6–3 || align="left"| Chicago Blackhawks (1988–89) ||22–15–6
|44||T||January 10, 1989||4–4 OT|| align="left"| @ Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) ||22–15–7
|45||W||January 11, 1989||3–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1988–89) ||23–15–7
|46||W||January 13, 1989||5–3 || align="left"| Edmonton Oilers (1988–89) ||24–15–7
|47||L||January 15, 1989||3–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1988–89) ||24–16–7
|48||L||January 20, 1989||5–6 OT|| align="left"| New Jersey Devils (1988–89) ||24–17–7
|49||L||January 22, 1989||3–4 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1988–89) ||24–18–7
|50||T||January 24, 1989||4–4 OT|| align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1988–89) ||24–18–8
|51||W||January 26, 1989||1–0 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) ||25–18–8
|52||T||January 28, 1989||4–4 OT|| align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1988–89) ||25–18–9
|53||T||January 30, 1989||4–4 OT|| align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1988–89) ||25–18–10
|54||W||February 1, 1989||4–3 OT|| align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1988–89) ||26–18–10
|55||W||February 3, 1989||1–0 || align="left"| Hartford Whalers (1988–89) ||27–18–10
|56||L||February 5, 1989||1–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) ||27–19–10
|57||L||February 10, 1989||6–7 OT|| align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1988–89) ||27–20–10
|58||L||February 11, 1989||1–2 || align="left"| Calgary Flames (1988–89) ||27–21–10
|59||W||February 14, 1989||5–3 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1988–89) ||28–21–10
|60||L||February 15, 1989||4–7 || align="left"| @ Chicago Blackhawks (1988–89) ||28–22–10
|61||W||February 17, 1989||8–2 || align="left"| @ Edmonton Oilers (1988–89) ||29–22–10
|62||L||February 19, 1989||2–3 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1988–89) ||29–23–10
|63||L||February 20, 1989||2–6 || align="left"| @ Calgary Flames (1988–89) ||29–24–10
|64||W||February 22, 1989||7–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1988–89) ||30–24–10
|65||L||February 28, 1989||3–4 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1988–89) ||30–25–10
|66||W||March 3, 1989||4–2 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) ||31–25–10
|67||W||March 5, 1989||3–0 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1988–89) ||32–25–10
|68||L||March 8, 1989||2–3 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) ||32–26–10
|69||W||March 9, 1989||7–2 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1988–89) ||33–26–10
|70||W||March 11, 1989||4–2 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1988–89) ||34–26–10
|71||W||March 14, 1989||6–3 || align="left"| Winnipeg Jets (1988–89) ||35–26–10
|72||W||March 17, 1989||4–1 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) ||36–26–10
|73||W||March 18, 1989||8–2 || align="left"| @ Hartford Whalers (1988–89) ||37–26–10
|74||W||March 22, 1989||5–4 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) ||38–26–10
|75||W||March 24, 1989||6–1 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) ||39–26–10
|76||W||March 26, 1989||3–2 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1988–89) ||40–26–10
|77||L||March 28, 1989||4–5 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1988–89) ||40–27–10
|78||L||March 30, 1989||4–5 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) ||40–28–10
|79||W||April 1, 1989||6–4 || align="left"| New Jersey Devils (1988–89) ||41–28–10
|80||L||April 2, 1989||4–7 || align="left"| @ New Jersey Devils (1988–89) ||41–29–10
Legend:
Playoffs
Round 1: (P1) Washington Capitals vs. (P4) Philadelphia Flyers
Player statistics
Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG C 80 41 48 89 49171609 LW 79 42 38 80 112111606 RW 72 18 51 69 1813546 D 80 7 61 68 2251603 RW 80 34 31 65 1221611 C 80 20 37 57 219-3903 RW 56 26 29 55 718601 LW 78 19 21 40 4513213 D 62 13 27 40 10119302 D 65 7 29 36 70-5300 RW 74 11 19 30 94-4400 C 52 8 19 27 309101 D 76 2 19 21 6512000 RW 75 5 13 18 65-2010 RW 63 7 10 17 123-4000 RW 11 12 3 15 1210303 RW 48 8 7 15 627001 D 61 3 11 14 431101 RW 18 6 3 9 4-4301 D 12 1 7 8 41100 D 21 0 8 8 87000 D 72 3 4 7 179-1000 C 16 2 5 7 40100 LW 35 4 2 6 12-5000 LW 33 3 2 5 620000 D 8 0 3 3 47000 RW 14 2 0 2 53-3000 D 13 0 2 2 362000 D 2 1 0 1 02000 D 3 0 1 1 100000 G 42 0 1 1 160000 G 35 0 1 1 80000 G 11 0 0 0 60000 D 1 0 0 0 00000 Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LTGAGAA SOSASVSV% 1854 33 20 7 3 88 2.85 4790702.889 2428 42 16 18 7 141 3.48 111451004.877 578 11 5 4 0 28 2.91 1269241.896 Team: 4860 80 41 29 10 257 3.17 622041947.883
Playoffs Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG LW 6 2 5 7 12100 RW 6 3 3 6 12300 RW 4 2 3 5 6100 D 6 1 4 5 20100 D 6 1 4 5 11000 C 6 0 5 5 2000 C 6 3 1 4 10010 C 6 0 4 4 29000 D 6 1 2 3 0100 D 6 2 0 2 4000 RW 6 1 1 2 0100 RW 6 0 2 2 0000 RW 6 1 0 1 8001 RW 6 1 0 1 12100 LW 6 1 0 1 2001 D 1 0 1 1 0000 LW 1 0 0 0 0000 RW 1 0 0 0 0000 D 6 0 0 0 6000 G 6 0 0 0 2000 D 6 0 0 0 19000 C 5 0 0 0 2000 Goaltending PlayerMINGPW LGAGAA SOSASVSV% 359 6 2 4 24 4.01 0164140.854 Team: 359 6 2 4 24 4.01 0164140.854
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG=Power-play goals; SHG=Short-handed goals; GWG=Game-winning goals MIN=Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts; SA=Shots against; SV=Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage; Draft picks Washington's draft picks at the 1988 NHL entry draft held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal.
Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)115Reggie SavageVictoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)236Tim TaylorLondon Knights (OHL)241Wade BartleyDauphin Kings (MJHL)357Duane DerksenWinkler Flyers (MJHL)478Rob KraussLethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)6120Dmitri KhristichSokil Kyiv (USSR)7141Keith JonesNiagara Falls Canucks (NDJBHL)7144Brad SchlegelLondon Knights (WHL)8162Todd HilditchPenticton Knights (BCJHL)9183Petr PavlasDukla Trenčín (Czechoslovakia)10192Mark SorensenUniversity of Michigan (CCHA)10204Claudio ScreminUniversity of Maine (Hockey East)11225Chris VenkusWestern Michigan University (CCHA)12246Ron PascucciBelmont Hill School (USHS-MA)S20Harry MewsNortheastern University (Hockey East)
References