The Noon Number: Short Summer

118 - Number of days since the last time the Capitals played a meaningful game of hockey, dating back to their Game 5 victory in the Stanley Cup Final on June 7. That’s the second-shortest summer in franchise history, trailing only the 116 days that separated the last game of the 1998 Stanley Cup Final (June 16) and the opener of the 1998-99 season (October 10).

Needless to say... this shortened summer was a bit easier to stomach, and comes to a close with tonight’s Stanley Cup banner heading into the rafters at Capital One Arena.