Margin of Victory

Despite the fact that on most nights the Capitals have seemed guilty of not playing complete games or not performing up to expectations (and now are having to perform missing several key players) - we are a little more than one month into the season and the team has 10 wins and 7 losses (4 in overtime) and they are tied for first in the East in points. What I find kind of interesting about this season, however, is that even if you extend their record into the preseason, they have yet to lose any game by more than a single goal. In this respect, they are unique in the league - no other team can make a similar claim.

Often you will hear what a team's record is in close games reported during the pre-game or going into the third period, because it is used as a metric of how good a team is at playing for those hard-fought points, but since every loss for the Capitals has been a 1-goal loss, their record in one-goal games (4-7) is obviously going to be a bit skewed toward losses. However, you could also look at their record and say... 7 more goals coupled with 7 more big saves and the Capitals might be looking at 17-0 right now. That's obviously not a reasonable expectation for the team, but it isn't a claim that any other team in the league could make this late into the season. A little smarter play, a little better concentration, a little more luck, and a little more effort - for the Capitals, that's the margin for victory.