The Washington Capitals couldn’t have had their best period in more than a month against their rival the Pittsburgh Penguins. A lot of forechecking and shots on net was the biggest difference in the first period. The Capitals were outshot eight to five in the first, but had more quality over quantity of shots.
At the end of the first, the Capitals would hold a lead (1-0) for the first time in a while of Jakub Varna’s twenty-fourth goal of the season at the 13:45 mark of the first.
Vrana went point and scoreless in his last seven games before scoring.