Washington Capitals: 5 keys to keeping the Stanley Cup

The Washington Capitals hold the Stanley Cup.You waited 43 seasons for the honor. Alex Ovechkin slept with it in his bed. T.J. Oshie ate a bowl of Cap’n Crunch out of it. There are millions of pictures of Caps players and fans crying, kissing, hugging and drinking out of the thing. And, there may be a few hundred thousand more before the season starts.

But, how do the Caps keep it?

Yes, after the short summer, there is a championship to defend. Soon, the endless parades and well-earned hangovers will pass. The hard work of a new season is around the corner. With ten weeks to recuperate, how do the Caps repeat?

In a sense, Washington laid the groundwork to do so.

Although they wished Barry Trotz…