A certain degree of satisfaction wafted through the Washington Capitals’ dressing room following a victory over the Boston Bruins on Nov. 5. Two days earlier, the Capitals sustained what still ranks as one of their more lopsided defeats of the season, a 5-2 thrashing on the road against the New York Rangers, and the game against the Bruins served as a potential impediment to accomplishing one of the team’s more informal goals.
Recognizing the implications a losing streak can have on a team’s psyche, let alone its playoff standing, players casually discussed before the season a desire to avoid consecutive losses.