Hold Off On The Seattle Kraken Doom-And-Gloom

History Says Better Times Still Possible After 0-3-1 Start

Though the Seattle Kraken forecast right now is dreary, chilly, and gloomy (not a law firm I'd use, either), there is NHL precedent for a good team to recover and make the playoffs from an even worse start.

Yes, worse than 0-3-1 and averaging 0.75 goals per game to start a season.

So take heart from one especially festive example, drawn not just from hockey history, but golf history as well. The story first appeared in my book, The Legends of Landover: Long-Lost Stories of the Washington Capitals.

(Hey, I had to keep myself occupied before the Kraken existed.)

The legend of the "Mulligan," or do-over, is credited by PGA.com to a 1920's Canadian golfer named David Mulligan. 

One day, he blamed his rotten first tee shot on numb hands; you see, driving his touring car to the course, bumpy roads naturally required him to keep a crushingly tight grip on the steering wheel. 

The others in David's foursome, a forgiving lot, allowed him a second try at his tee shot, and the "Mulligan" was born.

Early in the 1983-84 NHL season, another Canadian named David created what we'll call the "Champagne Mulligan." Poile, the Caps general manager, wanted to relieve the tension from a season-opening seven game losing streak. 

He dreamed up a postgame event Poile admitted was "corny," but to execute it, the Caps had to win a game. Washington came through against the Flyers, with Alan Haworth and Darren Veitch scoring on the power play, Gaetan Duchesne scoring shorthanded, and Al Jensen making 22 saves.

Then the GM surprised the team with a champagne party. "We all laughed about it," said Mike Gartner, who had opened the scoring. "Imagine, a 1-7 team drinking champagne." 

Craig Laughlin got the point. "We cracked the bottles and said, 'Now the season has really started.'" As Poile explained, "It was a chance to say, 'Can you believe that this happened to us? Now it's over. Let's get on with it.'" 

Did they ever, posting a sizzling 48-20-5 record following the losing streak - a rare instance when bubbly helped cure a hangover. Cheers!

(Quotes from Boston Globe, Sporting News)

Maybe one of Kraken GM Ron Francis' staff should be dispatched to a local retailer for a case of Mousse Fils L'Or d'Eugene Perpetuelle Blanc de Noirs Brut. 

Bubbly made in Washington State would be just as good, though it can't technically be called "Champagne" since the name is exclusive to sparkling wines from that region of France.