In the good ol' days of the "Original 21," the month of October was a time to work your way into game shape and get reacquainted with everyone in your dressing room. After all, with 16 of those 21 teams guaranteed a playoff spot, only the truly pathetic (see: Quebec Nordiques, 1987-92) failed to get a free pass to the postseason.

A decade later, though, in a 30-team NHL where one of those same 16 playoff spots is much more difficult to secure, October has become a very important month. The season's first month has become especially vital to those many middle-of-the-pack teams seeking an invite to the Cup tournament.

Here's why.

If you figure powerhouses Detroit, Dallas, Colorado and Philadelphia, as well as strong potential Cup contenders New Jersey, St. Louis, Washington and Toronto, are virtually assured of a playoff spot, then, it follows that the other 22 teams are battling for just eight slots. That's right: 22 teams, eight spots. While not exactly lotto-like odds, it's just plain tougher to earn a playoff berth. Thus, there's really no time to waste.

Looking for examples? Check out last season's Boston Bruins, who were a miserable 4-6-1-1 in October. Despite a strong finish, the B's missed the playoffs by a single point and coach Mike Keenan (who took over for Pat Burns after the bad start) lost his job.

In the West, by contrast, the Canucks' strong 6-2-2-1 October mark came in quite handy when injuries and goaltending woes haunted them down the stretch. Marc Crawford's troops finished the season with a dreadful 1-5-3 record, but still had enough to hang on the Conference's final playoff spot -- again, by a single point.

In this season's first week, several of those middle- to lower-end clubs have helped themselves by collecting some early points.

Interestingly, the Bruins -- still stinging from last spring's disappointment -- were among the teams to take advantage of the early action. They made the most of a season-opening three-game homestand, going a perfect 3-0 with wins over Anaheim, Atlanta and Washington. You just know new coach Robbie Ftorek was thrilled to put those six points in the bank as he takes his B's on a six-game road trip.

Also in the East, the Hurricanes, who edged out the Bruins last year, and the new-look Islanders each darted out of the gate with a pair of victories. And, three of the combined four wins were against middle- to lower-end conference rivals (Rangers, Panthers and Lightning). Those types of wins, at any point of the season, go a long way toward deciding a team's fate.

Out West, the Calgary Flames finally seemed to have learned their lesson about October. Last season, the Flames opened the season with three straight home losses en route to an awful 3-8-1 first month, which included ridiculous losses to both expansion Columbus and Minnesota. Needless to say, the Flames were out of the playoff picture by Christmas.

This year, buoyed by several offseason acquisitions, Calgary was determined to get off to a good start. And, backed by ex-Blues goalie Roman Turek, the Flames did just that. They grabbed five of a potential six points with shutout wins over the Oilers and Hawks and a disappointing 2-1 OT loss to the Coyotes. As with the Hurricanes and Islanders, the strong start was particularly important because it came against three conference foes. Clearly, if the Flames are to have any chance of breaking their five-year playoff drought in the ultra-competitive West, this type of start was a must.

As we watch the hotly contested games of this October, we realize the carefree days of the "Original 21" are long gone. And with them -- thankfully -- went those meaningless early-season games. These days, with nine more teams vying for the same amount of playoff spots, the games of fall can easily determine whether or not you play into the spring.

E.J. Hradek writes puck for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ej.hradek@espnmag.com.