First Period Breakdown
The game kicked off with some early drama between Washington's Ryan Leonard and Gabe Landeskog. Leonard took exception to being tangled up with Landeskog and let his stick do the talking, delivering a slash to Landeskog's right leg. Surprisingly, the refs kept their whistles silent on this one.
Just over three minutes in, Cole Hutson found himself in the penalty box for holding Nathan MacKinnon. This put the Avalanche on an early power play, but Washington's penalty kill unit held firm, keeping the score even.
Nic Roy, recently shifted to the fourth-line center, took a seat in the box for high-sticking Trevor van Riemsdyk. The Capitals had their turn with the man advantage but couldn't find the back of the net either.
The period took a tense turn when Devon Toews tripped Capitals forward Ethan Frank, sending him crashing into the post. Frank hit the ice hard, clutching his arm in pain. It was a relief to see him get up on his own, though he made a quick exit to the locker room, nursing that injured arm.
Both teams had their chances, but the scoreboard remained unchanged as the period came to a close, setting the stage for an intense battle ahead.