Rambai muchinyora ndima iyi - Kukwikwidzana kwakadzikira zvakanyanya kwemakore mashanu akatevera mushure mekusangana kwe2001 playoff, sezvo Washington nePittsburgh dzakabatanidzwa kwechimwe chete chitarisiko cheplayoff panguva ino (Washington yakarasikirwa neTampa Bay Lightning mu2003 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals). Nhamo dzezvikwata zviviri mumwaka wenguva dzose dzaizovawanira mano okuronga tarenda repamusoro. Alexander Semin (13th overall, 2002), Alexander Ovechkin (1st overall, 2004), naNicklas Backstrom (4th overall, 2006), vakasarudzwa neCapitals, apo Ryan Whitney (5th overall, 2002), Marc-Andre Fleury (1st overall, 2003), Evgeni Malkin (2nd overall, 2004
), Sidney Crosby (1st overall, 2005), naJordan Staal (2nd overall, 2006) vakasarudzwa nePenguins. Vatambi ava vakaita rutivi rwavo mukushandura nokukurumidza mararamire emapoka avo vamene. Crosby naOvechkin, mutambi anonyanya kufarirwa muboka rimwe nerimwe, vakatanga kusangana musi waNovember 22, 2005, naCrosby achiwana chinangwa uye rubatsiro uye Ovechkin achiwana rubatsiro. Penguins yakakunda 5<unk>4. Zviitiko zviviri izvi zvakazadzisa zvavaitarisira, sezvo vakawana 106 (Ovechkin) uye 103 (Crosby) kuti vapedze wechitatu uye wechitanhatu muNHL scoring race, zvichiteerana. Zvisinei, zvikwata zvose zviri zviviri zvakarasikirwa ne playoffs gore iroro. Zvibodzwa makumi mashanu nezviviri zvaOvechkin zvakamuisa pachinzvimbo chechitatu pane zvese-nguva yezvinangwa zvakawanikwa ne rookie mumwaka mumwe chete wenguva dzose, kumashure kwaTeemu Selanne (76) naMike Bossy (53)