Outside Capital One Arena, there is scaffolding and plastic draping the former brick exterior of the building, which is being replaced with a steel-and-glass look coming next fall. Inside, the Washington Capitals returned home with a lineup that will mostly resemble the one that takes the ice in Raleigh next Friday for the season opener.
The one notable exception was Alex Ovechkin, who is expected to miss the entire preseason slate but return for the regular season.
Tom Wilson and Jordan Kyrou noted it was very similar to a regular season game with near-complete lineups, and gave the players a chance to get ready for the coming season.
Washington’s power play looked very effective against Boston, going 3-for-3 with goals by Dylan Strome, Wilson and the game-winner by Kyrou in a 3-2 overtime decision. The extra man, who scored just after two power plays expired in Boston on Sunday, gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes.
”I thought they did a fantastic job,” Carbery said of the early man advantage.
Like Sunday, Boston fought back in its preseason finale and tied it up with two third-period goals to force overtime.
But armed with a power play late in regulation, the Capitals pressured and finally scored at the tail end of the extra man on a 4-on-3 11 seconds into overtime as Kyrou scored his first for Washington just six seconds before the penalty was to expire.
Logan Thompson was solid in net again, allowing just a Morgan Geekie floater and a David Pastrnak power-play goal but otherwise delivered a solid tuneup performance.
The game was more a dress rehearsal for the Capitals, who largely remained unscathed by injury, which is a primary goal of the exhibition season.
Of the forwards on the bubble, only Ethan Frank played, as Jonny Brodzinski is ineligible to play again, and Ivan Miroshichenko and Andrew Cristall likely make their final cases in Philadelphia before Monday’s roster deadline.
Carbery gave Frank a glowing endorsement for his candidacy for a spot, so while he didn’t tip his hat, he certainly figures to have an excellent chance.
Washington’s preseason finale tomorrow afternoon in Philadelphia figures to be a light lineup, with most of the Capitals ineligible to play due to the new CBA limiting preseason appearances to just 2 games for players with 100 NHL games or more.
Charlie Lindgren, who is still looking to secure the backup role, is expected to play the entire game against the Flyers.
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