5 – Number of days remaining until the start of the Capitals’ 2019-20 season. But it’s also…
…the number of shorthanded goals scored against the Caps in 2018-19. The Caps were one of just nine teams to give up no more than five goals while up a man last season, and showed improvement over the eight they had given up the previous year (although they didn’t quite drop to the low mark set in 2016-17 when they were only nicked three times).
Incidentally, five is also the number of shorthanded goals scored by the Caps last season, tying their high over the last ten seasons. Since the post-lockout days of 2005-06, the Caps have only potted more than five shorthanded goals four times, with seven in 2010-11 and 2008-09, 12 in 2006-07, and a whopping 15 in 2005-06 (which incidentally was the same year in which they gave up 18 to opponents, tied for the most by any team since).