It's a common question heard after every preseason or exhibition game: What did the game mean? Should we dismiss the result out of hand? Should we focus on individual efforts? How about grading the team, icing a line-up that probably won't bear close resemblance to their Opening Night configuration, as a whole? Is it all disposable, for lack of a better word?

A wise man once told me that when I was attempting to understand a team's temperature or direction, look or listen no further than the coach. Caps' bench boss Glen Hanlon has stated that whenever his team hits the ice, they are looking to win. Not to develop systems, not to work on a few things, but to put the puck in the opponent's net more than they allow the opponent.

In that light, the Caps have come up short in their two preseason contests in somewhat painful fashion, surrendering 2 goal cushions in both games. The ability to close out games is something the club hasn't demonstrated on a regular basis, though it might be more worrisome from last night's tilt, as a more veteran squad was deployed vice against Carolina. A few of the young blueliners seem to regularly be out of position, and of further concern is the continued habit of taking bad penalties at unfortunate times, a true trouble spot the past few seasons.

Then again, it's easy to fall into the preseason trap and ring warning bells. The Caps have played two solid teams dressing veteran line-ups on the road, and players like Tom Poti and Nicklas Backstrom have been positives for a club that will be counting on them in the regular season. The power play looks to be improved, though it's inability to put the puck past 22 year old Ottawa netminder Brian Elliott was vexing, and the overall mobility of the defense is improved. Certain forwards are beginning to show chemistry. Nylander and Semin, for example, seem to be adapting to each other's games, and Nylander and Backstrom meshed well together last night.

Personally, I try to keep an eye on individual efforts or pairings in the exhibition season, and try to keep tabs on the 'bubble guys' as they stake their claim to NHL minutes. Even this simplistic approach has it's pitfalls, with Camp Warriors looking like world-beaters and true NHLers getting out of the gates slowly.

Unfortunately, it seems the only real answer to "What does the preseason mean?" is the prosaic "We don't know". Honest, certainly, but hardly illuminating. All the more reason to look forward to the start of the real thing in October.