from Tom Gulitti of NHL.com,

The Washington Capitals probably didn't need a reminder of how difficult it is to win the Stanley Cup.

They hadn't advanced past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1998 before winning their first championship in 2018.

But if the Capitals thought they had it all figured out after that, having their repeat bid ended by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference First Round last season provided another lesson they hope will help them in their quest to get the Cup back this season. That the Cup no longer belongs to the Capitals will be driven home again when they watch the St. Louis Blues raise their first Stanley Cup banner prior to their season opener at Enterprise Center on Oct. 2.

"We always want to win and we always want to try to catch that Stanley Cup," center Nicklas Backstrom said. "That's our goal, and that has been our goal for so many years. … All the core guys are here, and I think we've got a good drive in our group with some new, younger players. I think it's perfect. You need a good mix of everything if you're going to go all the way, so why not do it again?"

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Wateh the season preview on the Caps below.