On Oct. 1 in Chicago, the Washington Capitals kicked off the season against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. Following an emotional ceremony and video montage celebrating Chicago’s victory last season and returning the Cup to the National Hockey League, the puck dropped.
After 60 minutes of hockey, the Caps fell to the Blackhawks 4-6 in an unusually high-scoring game. Since both offenses were hot, perhaps Caps goalie Brayden Holtby and Blackhaws goalie Corey Crawford were a little rusty.
Chicago scored first after Washington gave up an early penalty. The goal was not scored during the power play, but the penalty was enough to rattle the Caps and give up a goal right after Eric Fehr was released from the box.
The Caps had strong power plays, scoring three of their four goals a man up. But it wasn’t enough. Even after gaining the lead for the first time in the third period, the Blackhawks continued to score two more goals at even strength to finish the game ahead.
Relying on the power play is not going to help the Caps in the upcoming season. They have to be able to score when not a man up and defend even when a man down. If their even man game is up to par, then the power play and penalty kill will follow.
The Capital’s roster has a few new faces, including two 19-year-olds. Let’s hope these fresh players can create some awesome chemistry with our returning fan favorites, including Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom and our favorite captain, Alex Ovechkin.
