The 2012–13 Washington Capitals season was the franchise's 39th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The regular season was reduced from its usual 82 games to 48 due to a lockout.

Off-season On June 26, 2012, the Capitals announced the hiring of Adam Oates as their new head coach.Oates named new Capitals coach

Regular season The Capitals scored the most power-play goals in the NHL during the regular season with 47. They also had the best power-play percentage at 27.65% (47 for 170).

Schedule and results

|- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 1 || 19 || Washington Capitals ||3–6|| Tampa Bay Lightning || – || Holtby || 0–1–0|| 0 ||19,204 ||Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 2 || 22 || Winnipeg Jets ||4–2|| Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 0–2–0 || 0 ||18,506||Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 3 || 24 || Montreal Canadiens ||4–1|| Washington Capitals || – || Neuvirth || 0–3–0 || 0 ||18,506||Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#ffc;" | 4 || 25 || Washington Capitals ||2–3|| New Jersey Devils || OT || Neuvirth || 0–3–1 || 1 || 17,625 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 5 || 27 || Buffalo Sabres ||2–3|| Washington Capitals || – || Neuvirth || 1–3–1 || 3 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 6 || 29 || Washington Capitals ||2–3|| Ottawa Senators || – || Neuvirth || 1–4–1 || 3 || 19,267 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 7 || 31 || Washington Capitals || 2–3 || Toronto Maple Leafs || – || Neuvirth || 1–5–1 || 3 || 19,374 || Recap

|- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 8 || 1 || Philadelphia Flyers || 2–3 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 2–5–1 || 5 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 9 || 3 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 6–3 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 2–6–1 || 5 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 10 || 5 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 3–2 || Washington Capitals || – || Neuvirth || 2–7–1 || 5 ||18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 11 || 7 || Washington Capitals || 2–5 || Pittsburgh Penguins || – || Holtby || 2–8–1 || 5 ||18,650 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 12 || 9 || Florida Panthers || 0–5 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 3–8–1 || 7 ||18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 13 || 12 || Washington Capitals || 6–5 || Florida Panthers || OT || Holtby || 4–8–1 || 9 || 15,340 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 14 || 14 || Washington Capitals || 4–3 || Tampa Bay Lightning || – || Holtby || 5–8–1 || 11 || 19,204 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 15 || 17 || Washington Capitals || 1–2 || New York Rangers || – || Holtby || 5–9–1 || 11 || 17,200 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 16 || 21 || New Jersey Devils || 3–2 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 5–10–1 || 11 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 17 || 23 || New Jersey Devils || 1–5 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 6–10–1 || 13 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 18 || 26 || Carolina Hurricanes || 0–3 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 7–10–1 || 15 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 19 || 27 || Washington Capitals || 1–4 || Philadelphia Flyers || – || Holtby || 7–11–1 || 15 || 19,904 || Recap

|- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 20 || 2 || Washington Capitals || 3–0 || Winnipeg Jets || – || Holtby || 8–11–1 || 17 || 15,004 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 21 || 5 || Boston Bruins || 3–4 || Washington Capitals || OT || Holtby || 9–11–1 || 19 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 22 || 7 || Florida Panthers || 1–7 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 10–11–1 || 21 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 23 || 9 || Washington Capitals || 2–5 || New York Islanders || – || Grubauer || 10–12–1 || 21 || 14,819 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 24 || 10 || New York Rangers || 4–1 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 10–13–1 || 21 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 25 || 12 || Carolina Hurricanes || 4–0 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 10–14–1 || 21 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 26 || 14 || Washington Capitals || 3–2 || Carolina Hurricanes || – || Neuvirth || 11–14–1 || 23 || 16,810 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 27 || 16 || Washington Capitals || 1–4 || Boston Bruins || – || Neuvirth || 11–15–1 || 23 || 17,565 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 28 || 17 || Buffalo Sabres || 3–5 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 12–15–1 || 25 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 29 || 19 || Washington Capitals || 1–2 || Pittsburgh Penguins || – || Holtby || 12–16–1 || 25 || 18653 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 30 || 21 || Washington Capitals || 4–0 || Winnipeg Jets || – || Holtby || 13–16–1 || 27 || 15,004 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 31 || 22 || Washington Capitals || 6–1 || Winnipeg Jets || – || Holtby || 14–16–1 || 29 || 15,004 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 32 || 24 || Washington Capitals || 3–2 || New York Rangers || SO || Holtby || 15–16–1 || 31 || 17,200 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 33 || 26 || New York Islanders || 3–2 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 15–17–1 || 31 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 34 || 30 || Washington Capitals || 4–3 || Buffalo Sabres || SO || Holtby || 16–17–1 || 33 || 19,070 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#ffc;" | 35 || 31 || Washington Capitals || 4–5 || Philadelphia Flyers || OT || Holtby || 16–17–2 || 34 || 19,681 || Recap

|- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 36 || 2 || Washington Capitals || 5–3 || Carolina Hurricanes || – || Holtby || 17–17–2 || 36 || 16,530 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 37 || 4 || New York Islanders || 1–2 || Washington Capitals || SO || Holtby || 18–17–2 || 38 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 38 || 6 || Washington Capitals || 4–3 || Florida Panthers || – || Holtby || 19–17–2 || 40 || 16,886 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 39 || 7 || Tampa Bay Lightning || 2–4 || Washington Capitals || – || Neuvirth || 20–17–2 || 42 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 40 || 9 || Washington Capitals || 3–2 || Montreal Canadiens || – || Neuvirth || 21–17–2 || 44 || 21,273 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 41 || 11 || Carolina Hurricanes || 1–3 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 22–17–2 || 46 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 42 || 13 || Tampa Bay Lightning || 5–6 || Washington Capitals || OT || Holtby || 23–17–2 || 48 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 43 || 16 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 1–5 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 24–17–2 || 50 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fcf;" | 44 || 18 || Washington Capitals || 1–3 || Ottawa Senators || – || Holtby || 24–18–2 || 50 || 19,965 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 45 || 20 || Washington Capitals || 5–1 || Montreal Canadiens || – || Holtby || 25–18–2 || 52 || 21,273 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 46 || 23 || Winnipeg Jets || 5–3 || Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || 26–18–2 || 54 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#ffc;" | 47 || 25 || Ottawa Senators || 2–1 || Washington Capitals || OT || Neuvirth || 26–18–3 || 55 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 48 || 27 || Boston Bruins || 2–3 || Washington Capitals || OT || Holtby || 27–18–3 || 57 || 18,506 || Recap

|- style="text-align:center;" | Legend:      = Win      = Loss      = OT/SO Loss

Season standings

Playoffs

The Washington Capitals ended the 2012–13 regular season as the Southeast Division champions and therefore as the Eastern Conference's 3rd seed. They faced the #6 seed New York Rangers in the first round, losing 4 games to 3.

Key: Win Loss

|- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 1 || May 2 || New York Rangers ||1–3|| Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || Capitals lead 1–0 || 18,506 ||Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 2 || May 4 || New York Rangers ||0–1|| Washington Capitals || OT || Holtby || Capitals lead 2–0 || 18,506 ||Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 3 || May 6 || Washington Capitals ||3–4|| New York Rangers || – || Holtby || Capitals lead 2–1 || 17,200 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 4 || May 8 || Washington Capitals ||3–4|| New York Rangers || – || Holtby || Series ties 2–2 || 17,200 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" | 5 || May 10 || New York Rangers ||1–2|| Washington Capitals || OT || Holtby || Capitals lead 3–2 || 18,506 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 6 || May 12 || Washington Capitals ||0–1|| New York Rangers || – || Holtby || Series tied 3–3 || 17,200 || Recap |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 7 || May 13 || New York Rangers ||5–0|| Washington Capitals || – || Holtby || Rangers win 4–3 || 18,506 || Recap

Player statistics Final stats Skaters

Regular season Player 48 32 24 56 2 36 48 13 36 49 −4 53 48 8 40 48 8 20 47 19 14 33 −5 28 35 12 14 26 −3 20 48 6 16 22 11 18 34 6 16 22 3 4 39 8 12 20 7 12 41 9 8 17 14 10 39 6 11 17 7 20 47 3 11 14 −5 48 27 4 5 9 1 6 23 3 6 9 9 14 28 1 8 9 9 33 48 5 3 8 −6 73 48 2 6 8 −1 14 25 1 6 7 −5 8 30 3 3 6 10 34 48 1 4 5 −6 14 9 1 3 4 2 6 † 9 1 2 3 0 4 26 0 3 3 −6 12 16 0 2 2 −2 2 26 2 0 2 −1 8 5 0 1 1 5 0 † 17 0 1 1 −2 7 ‡ 4 0 1 1 −1 2 1 0 0 0 −1 0

Playoffs Player 7 1 3 4 −1 6 7 2 2 4 0 4 7 1 3 4 3 0 7 1 2 3 1 4 7 1 2 3 −2 0 7 1 1 2 −2 10 7 1 1 2 −2 4 7 1 1 2 0 10 7 1 1 2 3 2 7 1 1 2 −3 0 7 0 1 1 −4 4 7 1 0 1 −5 4 7 0 1 1 −4 6 7 0 1 1 −4 4 7 0 1 1 −1 4 4 0 0 0 1 4 7 0 0 0 −2 0 7 0 0 0 −2 6 3 0 0 0 −1 0

Goaltenders Regular season Player 36 35 2089:14 23 12 1 90 2.58 1123 .920 4 0 2 2 13 12 723:08 4 5 2 33 2.74 367 .910 0 0 0 0 2 1 83:58 0 1 0 5 3.57 59 .915 0 0 0 0 Totals 48 2896:20 27 18 3 128 2.65 1549 .917 4 0 2 2

Playoffs Player 7 7 432:50 3 4 16 2.22 205 .922 1 0 0 2

†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Capitals. Stats reflect time with the Capitals only. ‡Traded mid-season Bold/italics denotes franchise record

Awards and records

Awards Regular Season Player Award Awarded Alexander Ovechkin2013 NHL Awards Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy April 2013 Alexander OvechkinAlex Ovechkin Wins Third Hart Trophy Hart Memorial Trophy June 15, 2013

Transactions The Capitals have been involved in the following transactions during the 2012–13 season.

Trades