Statistically, the inaugural 1974-75 Washington Capitals were losers, tragic owners of many terrible records due to the team being set up for failure. But statistics are just ink on paper. What are they next to a man?
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CHAPTERS
00:00 In the Beginning
02:05 Sic Parvis…
17:09 Through You I Know I Am Yet Young
30:23 Long is the Way and Hard
46:25 This is a Low
1:03:16 The Light at the End
1:11:45 …Magna
Pinholes Graham Hockey is creating long-form, deep-dive hockey documentaries that explore the game’s rich history, weird stories, and statistical analysis & oddities. From legendary rivalries and forgotten Stanley Cup playoff series, to bizarre trivia, to pivotal moments in NHL history, I deliver long-form storytelling that entertains and educates. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a curious newcomer, I hope to offer a fresh perspective on NHL history and the weird, wonderful world of hockey.
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#nhl #hockey #washingtoncapitals #retrosports #throwback #sportsdocumentary #expansion
28 Comments
Fantastic affectionate description of what looks from the outside as abject failure. It was statistically that, but those numbers tell a story, notTHE story.
wow, I loved your narration and the angle you took to relate the history of this team.
I remember a year when I was playing minor hockey, our team lost every game of the season… except the last one. The other team was so pissed that there was a bench clearing brawl after the end of the game lol
Why not do a show on van Canuck’s 50 years of misery
This was surprisingly
very well done
From the writing,
to the editing,
to the pacing,
and presentation…but you’ve got
to put a little
more effort into
the proper
prononciation
of the players names in order to be taken seriously by the veterans
Good storytelling nonetheless
Bravo
I’m a baseball fan, but this is one of the best and affectionate docs on sports I have ever seen. The last line “the 1975 Capitals weren’t infant sons . . . they were fathers” is Kiplingesque. In fact the last two paragraphs are exceptional prose. What a great thing you have done!
Fantastic documentary. The music, the storytelling, pretty much everything tells such a wild story.
The Capitals 8 wins were against the Blackhawks, Red Wings, Scouts, Rangers, Penguins, Leafs, and the Seals twice, one win against the Seals was their only win on the road
That division had Montreal, Detroit, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Washington, the Caps had no chance with those teams
Being a pistons fan and having season tickets during our record setting losing streak a few years ago was genuinely pretty wild. Every time a game was close it felt like a thriller even though we basically always blew it. I remember our roster being so bad and injured near the end of the year I’d start picking out random g-leaguers and guys on 10 day contracts and start talking about them like superstars if they got like, 8 points in a game. It made being actually kinda good this year a fucking trip too
Deepest dive I've ever seen into this team. Montage at the end was incredible. Amazing work.
The Canadians weren't the best team in the world in 74-75.
Great job!
As a born and raised Canes fan, I'm genetically predisposed to hating the Caps. That being said, this video was still really moving as a sports fan. It shows just how rich the Caps' history and devotion as a fanbase was and is. Subbed and eager to see more.
Saying he’s the Jon Bois of hockey is insulting. Graham is his own thing that so much more spectacular and interesting- great content and spectacular video
I've been following hockey since 1965 and I remember listening to the Caps' first game at MSG in 1974. Rangers voice Marv Albert was almost incredulous after Jim Hrycuik put the Caps in front, not to mention that the game was tied after two periods. 8-67-5 has been burned into our brains for 50 years as the epitome of failure, but this video certainly puts a human face on the futility, a fate none of these men asked for. People don't realize the damage the WHA did in thinning the talent pool. Not only for the Caps, but for the KC Scouts as well. It took many years for both franchises to become respectable, but both have won Stanley Cups (Kansas City is now the NJ Devils). As a Buffalo fan (and ex-NYR fan since 1/17/71), I immensely enjoyed watching the six-goal outburst against the Rangers as a senior in high school at the time. Excellent job on the video, and whatever happened to Rick Bragnalo!
"Stanley Can" is epic. As a Bruins fan of that age, my attention was elsewhere, but I recall the 'point-padding' games against the lowly caps, but never knew of Milt's connection.
This is a great video, top-notch production. If the 'Caos' don't find a way to reward you, then they're ungrateful fools.
I've always been a stats guy, and especially records of failure interest me [I am also a Red Sox fan from that era] and I noticed this; it took just four games to have back to back games without losing … and that was the last time it happened. Twice having 1-1-1 sets and once, 2-2-0, getting 4 pts in 4 games, the rest were lone bumps, but they at least rose above the lowest of low water marks by surpassing 20 pts.
Another gem from Mr. Graham
never been more hype than realizing another pinholes masterclass is 1:20 mins
Great video
So TL:DR, the 1974-75 Capitals were the worst team ever, even with the excuse of being an expansion team, but they created the term 'lovable loser' in the NHL. And their fans still loved them.
Your adoration for hockey alongside your storytelling abilities makes for such a great hockey channel, keep it up graham
I've been a fan before day 1 when I heard DC was getting a hockey team. I remember some of those home games. Your video brought back memories. Thanks
Amazing video. Subbed
every video from this channel blows me away because i love the narrtives in hockey and these deep dives into the histories of teams are always so interesting. love the way you framed this: the team did objectively horribly in all stats, but paved the way for all the success that came after
Ace Bailey was a passenger on the 1st plane that hit the Twin Towers on 9/11.
Nice info but way to long No one can watch this for over an hour
Do my eyes deceive me that the Capitals only had 3 lines and 2 defensive pairings? Or did they sign players to fill in the gaps? Either way, starting a season like that is brutal
Lefty McFadden is a name