Alex Ovechkin’s final Capitals home opener in D.C. came with the kind of matchup that still turns heads: Sidney Crosby and the Penguins on the other side, and a 5-3 Washington win to go with it.
The night belonged to a Capitals team that looked deep, fast and difficult to deal with. Tom Wilson piled up three points, Ryan Leonard scored for the second time this season, and the penalty kill kept doing exactly what it has done so far this year. Washington also got goals from Alex Tuch and Pierre-Luc Dubois, with Dubois adding an assist and Wilson finishing with a goal and two assists.
That second line of Tuch, Dubois and Wilson was the loudest story on the ice. Big, quick and dangerous, the trio gave Washington a combination that’s hard to sort out.
They can score, they can handle top competition, and they bring enough size that opponents have to think twice every time they go over the boards. The Capitals’ next opponent, the Rangers, will see that group up close Friday at Capital One Center.
Ovechkin was part of the opening goal sequence, skating while Dylan Strome found Anthony Beauvillier in stride for the game’s first tally just 23 seconds into the first period. Ovechkin did not get on the scoresheet, but the offense no longer runs through him the way it once did. At 41 years old and in his 22nd season, that’s not a problem for Washington.
One of the clearest signs of the Capitals’ depth was the way Ryan Leonard was used. He skated on what was listed as the “4th” line alongside Justin Sourdif and Boone Jenner, though those kinds of players would be a third line on most teams. There isn’t really a conventional fourth line here, and that gives Washington a lot of matchup flexibility.
The power play had a mixed night, going 1 for 4. Leonard scored the lone man-advantage goal in the third period, which at least hinted that a Capitals power play that has been quiet could be waking up. If Washington is going to make a playoff push, those units will have to deliver.
The penalty kill, meanwhile, stayed sharp. Pittsburgh went 0 for 3 on the power play, and after three games the Capitals are sitting at 91.7% on the penalty kill, according to Stat Muse.
Tuch is part of that edge too; he can finish chances and he’s one of the league’s best penalty killers. If that unit keeps rolling, it could wind up being the piece that pushes Washington over the top this season.
In Other News...
Capitals Suddenly Look Like Real Contenders For One Big Reason
The Capitals first week has offered plenty of reason for optimism, with two wins in their first three games and an offseason that already looks a little sharper on paper. Additions like Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou have given Washington more pop, while the core still runs through captain Alex Ovechkin, goaltender Logan Thompson and Pierre-Luc Dubois, a blend that has analysts Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton sounding more bullish than they were before camp opened.
The bigger question is whether the roster can stay intact long enough for that upside to matter. Washington does not need every part to go perfectly, but it does need the lineup to keep its key pieces on the ice and functioning at the level that makes the rest of the East take notice. Dubois, in particular, is the swing factor, because the Capitals ceiling looks very different depending on which version of him shows up over the course of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals May Not Be Done Building Around Ovechkins Final Push
The Capitals spent the offseason trying to give Alex Ovechkin one more real shot at a championship, and the work may not stop there. Washington has already brought in help and continues to position itself as a team that expects to be in the conversation when the Stanley Cup race tightens, which keeps the front office focused on finding the right pieces rather than simply standing pat.
David Pagnotta has also indicated the Capitals could stay active as the season unfolds, with the trade market a place they plan to watch closely as the deadline approaches. That fits the broader sense around the team, especially with a marquee defenseman in Carolina drawing attention in free-agency chatter and plenty of speculation left about how far Washington will push its push for one last Ovechkin run. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fans Have A Real Matthew Poitras Trade Question Again
Alex Ovechkins place in Washington has been one of the leagues quiet storylines for a while now, and the conversation around his future is getting more layered as the Capitals keep reshaping the roster around him. Even with the franchise icon still central to the room and the identity of the team, the way Washington has handled its personnel has created a different backdrop than the one that existed when his retirement timeline first surfaced.
The latest wrinkle is that the Capitals evolving mix has only sharpened the focus on how long Ovechkin wants to keep going and what his role looks like as the team changes around him. With additions such as Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou part of the broader context, the question is no longer just how Washington supports its captain, but how those moves affect the final stretch of his career. [Read more 🡒]