2005–06 Washington Capitals season
| 2005–06 Washington Capitals | |
|---|---|
| Division | 5th Southeast |
| Conference | 14th Eastern |
| 2005–06 record | 29–41–12 |
| Home record | 16–18–7 |
| Road record | 13–23–5 |
| Goals for | 237 |
| Goals against | 306 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | George McPhee |
| Coach | Glen Hanlon |
| Captain | Jeff Halpern |
| Alternate captains | Brian Sutherby (Mar.–Apr.) Brendan Witt (Oct.–Mar.) Dainius Zubrus |
| Arena | MCI Center |
| Average attendance | 13,905 |
| Minor league affiliate(s) | Hershey Bears South Carolina Stingrays |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Alexander Ovechkin (52) |
| Assists | Alexander Ovechkin (54) |
| Points | Alexander Ovechkin (106) |
| Penalty minutes | Brendan Witt (141) |
| Plus/minus | Chris Clark (+9) |
| Wins | Olaf Kolzig (20) |
| Goals against average | Brent Johnson (3.44) |
The 2005–06 Washington Capitals season was the Washington Capitals' 32nd season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Capitals missed the playoffs for the second season in a row.
Following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Alexander Ovechkin played his first game with the Washington Capitals on October 5, 2005, scoring two goals in a 3–2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. In a shootout against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Ovechkin scored the game-winning goal in a 5–4 win. The Capitals finished the 2005–06 season in fifth and last place of the Southeast Division with a 29–41–12 campaign, having 12 more points than the 2003–04 season, good for 27th out of the 30 NHL teams. Yet the team played close in every game, playing in 42 one-goal games, although losing two-thirds of those games. A notable first was that Washington area native Jeff Halpern was named captain of the hometown Capitals. At the 2006 trade deadline, March 9, Witt was traded to the Nashville Predators. Several Capitals achieved career highs in several offensive categories, including Matt Pettinger and Dainius Zubrus, who both achieved career highs in all offensive categories. Jeff Halpern set a new career high in assists for the second consecutive season.