Three weeks ago, we made a point that you can’t win a Stanley Cup in October, but you could lose it. Getting off to bad starts in October is the kiss of death for Stanley Cup aspirants. Only two of the last 30 Cup winners had October records below .500, and one of those came in a season that got off to a late start.
Well, with respect to The Battle of October, consider it Mission: Accomplished (sorry, no banners, please). The Capitals finished the month 8-2-3, good for 19 points, tied for the seventh best among the last 30 Cup winners, and a winning percentage (based on percentage of available points) of .731, good for 14th on that list.
There are other battles to fight on the way to a Cup, the one staring the Caps in the face for the moment being The Battle of Weathered Injuries as they play on with their top offensive player on the shelf.
But for now, October is a good start. At this point in the season, it would be hard to ask for anything else. As long as one keeps in mind that all it represents is a start.
Well, with respect to The Battle of October, consider it Mission: Accomplished (sorry, no banners, please). The Capitals finished the month 8-2-3, good for 19 points, tied for the seventh best among the last 30 Cup winners, and a winning percentage (based on percentage of available points) of .731, good for 14th on that list.
There are other battles to fight on the way to a Cup, the one staring the Caps in the face for the moment being The Battle of Weathered Injuries as they play on with their top offensive player on the shelf.
But for now, October is a good start. At this point in the season, it would be hard to ask for anything else. As long as one keeps in mind that all it represents is a start.
