Tonight began a six-game span of playing at home for the Capitals after going 2-0-2 to start the season on the road. Unfortunately tonight also started a stretch of at least four games without some big guns, as Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kunzetsov, Dmitry Orlov, and Ilya Samsonov are all out following COVID protocol. That’s elite scoring, elite playmaking, defensive stability, and the starting goaltending not on the ice. No matter what team it is, missing that much talent will be a tough trial.
Despite that loss, and an in-game injury, the Capitals were able to pull out a win via shootout - and grabbing any points while this shorthanded is a huge plus.