The 2011–12 Washington Capitals season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). Washington finished the year as the seventh place team in the Eastern Conference. In the opening round of the playoffs, they matched up with the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Due to injuries, the Capitals were forced to play rookie goaltender Braden Holtby. Washington's defeat of the Bruins marked the first time in NHL history in which all seven games of a series were decided by one goal. Facing the East's top seed in the Conference Semi-finals, Washington was defeated in seven games by the New York Rangers. Holtby was lauded for his playoff performance, where he recorded a .935 save percentage and was credited with putting Washington in a position to win each game.
Washington won their first seven games, setting a franchise record for consecutive victories to start a season. Shortly after, however, an early season slump prompted the benching of offensive star players Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin in separate games. The moves failed to produce results, and Head Coach Bruce Boudreau was eventually replaced by Dale Hunter. Boudreau's firing came seven days after he won his 200th game as an NHL head coach, achieving the feat faster anyone in NHL history. Under Hunter, the Capitals battled the Florida Panthers for the Southeast Division title, ultimately losing out on their fifth-straight division title on the final day of the season. Two days after Washington's playoff elimination, Hunter stepped down as head coach; Adam Oates was hired as his replacement.
Individually, Alexander Ovechkin and Dennis Wideman were named to the All-Star Game. Due to a suspension for a reckless hit, however, Ovechkin elected not to attend the game to avoid being a distraction. Four Capitals were named one of the NHL's weekly three stars – a total of five times throughout the season. Three players made their NHL debut, while Mike Knuble played in his 1,000th game.
Off-season
During the off-season, the Capitals made several player changes. One of the players that was not retained by the team, Matt Bradley, started a controversy with his comments from a radio interview in Ottawa. In the interview, Bradley said his former team was "a little bit too nonchalant and guys weren't disciplined the way they should have been," which he claimed were the two biggest reasons why the team was not able to advance past the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He later stated that Head Coach Bruce Boudreau did not give the most ice time to players who were playing well, but went with his star players. He further noted that Boudreau was a "great coach" who had been put in a tough position. When asked to point out examples, Bradley stated that Alexander Semin "could easily be the best player in the league," but he "just doesn't care," further noting, "When you've got a guy like that, you need him to be your best player, or one of your best players, and when he doesn't show up, you almost get the sense that he wants to be back in Russia." Semin's agent came to his client's defense, stating he "always cares." Teammate Mike Knuble noted that because Semin speaks limited English, the language barrier affects the way that he is perceived, further noting that the interview comments were something Bradley regretted. When asked about the comments, former Capitals forward Dave Steckel stated that, "It's not like he went out and told lies." Bradley later apologized for his comments in an interview with the Sun Sentinel.