1984–85 Washington Capitals season


The 1984–85 Washington Capitals season was the Washington Capitals eleventh season in the National Hockey League.

Offseason

Regular season

Coming off their most successful season in their NHL history, the Capitals were expected to take over leadership of the division from the Islanders, whose fading dynasty was given a blow after the Oilers topped them in the 1984 Finals.
Instead, despite a solid start to the season, the Caps were struggling in the early going to keep up with the surprising Philadelphia Flyers. With a surge around the holidays, Washington ended up snagging first place and with the help of easy games throughout January, extended their division lead to double-digit points by the start of February.
However, the Flyers came breathing down the Caps' necks from there. On February 9, Washington led Philly by 11 points, but a last-second loss to the Flyers at the Capital Centre triggered another battle for the division title.
Although the Capitals didn't falter over the remaining games of the season, they were unable to hold off their scorching neighbors to the north—dropping a key pair of games in a home-and-home set on March 7 at the Spectrum and March 8 at home -- which drew the clubs into a tie for first. Key losses at home to Boston and on the road at Hartford sealed their fate as the Flyers wrapped up the Patrick on March 28 with the Capitals a distant 10 points off the pace.
Despite winning 46 games and posting another 101 point campaign, the Capitals wound up 12 points behind Philly, and won only once in seven games against them.
That didn't take away from the career performances of Mike Gartner and Bobby Carpenter, who became the first Capitals teammates to post concurrent 50 goal seasons. Both Gartner and Carpenter posted career-highs in goal scoring and led a potent offense which tallied 322 times.

Final standings

Schedule and results

Playoffs

Round 1: (P2) Washington Capitals vs. (P3) New York Islanders

Player statistics

Regular season

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIM+/-PPGSHGGWG
RW805052102711717011
C8053429587201207
RW802643691420502
D80214465221191605
D791342555121300
RW781634503812503
C762326494819402
RW51142943813613
LW671523383216011
D561127384222403
C80928373219111
RW781419336910013
RW571513282311101
D79422265435001
LW461015251320010
D75318213731200
LW5161218728001
RW224711451001
D5701010215000
C1534729001
C122466-1200
C44156192000
D531455111000
C11303120000
LW621392100
D13112341000
C91122-1000
D210101010
C301121000
G1201100000
G5701120000
G1400060000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLTGAGAASO
338857282071682.982
803141031342.541
66112821312.811
Team:485280462592332.884

Playoffs

;Scoring
PlayerPosGPGAPtsPIMPPGSHGGWG
RW54379101
D52350200
C51458000
RW51340100
RW51120000
RW511215000
C51010001
C51012000
LW50117000
RW50112000
D50116000
D50114000
D501120000
D50114000
LW50009000
D20000000
D20000000
D10000000
G30002000
RW50002000
C10000000
G20000000
LW40000000

;Goaltending
PlayerMINGPWLGAGAASO
20131282.390
12221152.460
Team:323523132.410

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;

Awards and records

Transactions

Roster

Draft picks

Washington's draft picks at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.
Round#PlayerNationalityCollege/Junior/Club Team
117Kevin HatcherNorth Bay Centennials
234Steve LeachMatignon High School
359Michal PivonkaPoldi Kladno
480Kris KingPeterborough Petes
6122Vito CramarossaToronto Marlboros
7143Timo IljinaKarpat
8164Frank JooRegina Pats
9185Jim ThomsonToronto Marlboros
10205Paul CavalliniHenry Carr Crusaders
11225Mikhail TatarinovSokol Kiev
12246Per SchederinBrynas IF

Farm teams