In many ways, the Washington Capitals overachieved during the 2023-24 season. A team built around an aging core of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie and John Carlson was no longer able to compete with the league’s elite because most of those key players were injured, unavailable or no longer productive.
The Capitals finished the season with 91 points and clinched a postseason berth in their final game against Philadelphia, but finished the regular season with a goal differential of -37. By the time the Capitals snuck into the final playoff spot, there were definitely “just happy to be there” vibes. Well, they weren’t “there” for long — as the New York Rangers, fresh off earning the Presidents’ Trophy, swept the Caps out of the playoffs in the first round.
Washington isn’t even 10 games into the new season, but nearly everything about the team appears to be transformed from a year ago. And, as fate would have it, Washington had an early-season matchup with those same Rangers to see how this year’s team stacks up against a Stanley Cup contender.
A mere two minutes and 37 seconds into the night, Caps defenseman Dylan McIlrath and Rangers goon Matt Rempe dropped the gloves in a heavyweight bout that did not disappoint, with both big men landing significant blows. McIlrath emerged victorious though over the bigger combatant, sending a pulse of energy throughout Capital One Arena as fans roared their approval.
Just 46 seconds later, Ovechkin scored the game’s opening goal. Rangers left wing Will Cuylle tied the game a minute later, so Ovechkin went back out and scored his second goal of the game a few moments later. The Great 8 now has four goals in eight games this season, which translates to 41 goals during an 82-game season. With 857 career goals, he remains 38 away from passing Wayne Gretzky on the all-time scoring list.
By the time the opening period ended, Washington led 3-1 while outshooting New York 19 to 5. While the Rangers kept things relatively competitive, goalie Logan Thompson made 16 saves and Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois each recorded three points in the win for the home team.
“What a hockey game,” said coach Spencer Carbery. “That had everything. I’m glad that was on national television, because that helps our sport a lot. That was a great hockey game. I thought our guys played outstanding, start to finish.”
One possible area of concern for the Caps: defenseman Jakob Chychrun left the game with an upper-body injury. Defensive depth has already taken a hit with Matt Roy out since the season opener with a lower-body injury, so any lengthy absence could pose a problem for the backline.
