Peter Laviolette is under no illusion that the Washington Capitals will be a well-oiled machine when they take the ice Thursday night in Buffalo for their season opener. No team in the league will be, after all, not after an extended offseason gave way to a shortened training camp.
Particularly for Washington, with a new coach and a new system and new players, facing the Sabres will be a benchmark — a benchmark the Capitals hope to set with a win, but a benchmark nonetheless. They’ve had 10 days on the ice to acclimate, 10 days to prepare for a 56-game sprint with eight games against each East Division rival.