PHOTOS: Reactions from Caps fans turn from optimism to shock in Game 7

Fann shows All Caps signs made of bottle caps during Game 7, on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
A fan shows off an All Caps sign made of bottle caps during Game 7, on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
Fans outside Capital One Arena hold up a Game of Thrones-themed sign before the Caps host the Hurricanes in Game 7. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
Fans outside Capital One Arena hold up a Game of Thrones-themed sign before the Caps host the Hurricanes in Game 7. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
A sign spinner holds an All Caps sign during Game 7. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
A sign spinner holds an All Caps sign during Game 7. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
Slapshot rolling out in front of the arena before the game. (WTOP/Michelle Basch) (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
Caps fans form a very long line outside Capital One Arena in anticipation of the game. Unfortunately, the game wouldn’t turn out how they hoped it would. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
As the game went into overtime, some fans left and headed to the Metro while others tried to take the edge off with a cigarette … (WTOP/Michelle Basch) (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
… or some doughnuts. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
At overtime, some Caps fans left for the Metro, despite it staying open late for people to have a way to get back after the game. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
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Fann shows All Caps signs made of bottle caps during Game 7, on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
Fans outside Capital One Arena hold up a Game of Thrones-themed sign before the Caps host the Hurricanes in Game 7. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
A sign spinner holds an All Caps sign during Game 7. (WTOP/Michelle Basch)
The hope and optimism demonstrated by Capitals fans before and during Game 7 against the Carolina Hurricanes was replaced by the shock that the Stanley Cup run for the defending champions would last only one round.

Before the game, fans lined the street outside Capital One Arena “rocking the red” in support of the Capitals, who one fan said “thrived off that.”

“After last year, I have all the confidence in the world we can do it,” said Donnie from La Plata, Maryland. “This will be exactly like last year — we fight all the way to the end until we get the (Stanley) Cup again.”

Not everyone was so confident. Sherri from Fredericksburg, Virginia, said: “It’s gonna be tough.”

David, also from Fredericksburg, described himself as nervous but excited about Game 7. What was he worried about?

“Just them having one of those off days,” he said. “Game 5 we killed it 6-0 and then we’re just — on the road it seems like this series has been horrible so hopefully, statistically it’s looking good.”

For roughly a period and a half, it did. The Caps raced to a 2-0 lead in the game’s first seven minutes and Evgeny Kuznetsov’s goal in the second period made it a 3-1 advantage. But that would be the final Capitals goal, as Jordan Staal scored the equalizer to stun the crowd at Capital One Arena, and eventually, force overtime, where Brock McGinn scored the game- and series-clinching goal in the second OT.

Some fans expressed disbelief, some were angered, and one woman was glad to see the Capitals lose to Carolina rather than former coach Barry Trotz’s New York Islanders in the second round.

Season-ticket holder Krissie DePollo said that she was almost glad the Caps didn’t have to face their former coach. “I would rather lose to Carolina than I would have to the Islanders,” she said. “I’d rather lose to (Carolina) tonight than I would have to Trotz.”

But Rex Edwards, of McLean, Virginia, is disappointed. “We had a good year last year … They should have won this,” he said.

Bill Wallace, of Capitol Hill, said that it was the lack of puck luck. “We had it last year. We didn’t have puck luck this year,” he said. But despite the bad luck, he said the Stanley Cup playoffs are the most fun to watch because “you really have no great advantage if you’re the best team during the year.”

WTOP’s Michelle Basch and Liz Anderson contributed to this report from Capital One Arena.

Rob Woodfork

Rob Woodfork is WTOP's Senior Sports Content Producer, which includes duties as producer and host of the DC Sports Huddle, nightside sports anchor and sports columnist on WTOP.com.

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