"The Washington Capitals scored just one goal in their season-opening loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. While the team certainly created more chances than the Bruins - finishing the game with 16 high-danger chances to Boston's 5 - their actual offensive output was hampered by what appeared to be a lack of chemistry to begin the year. After more than a few bobbled pucks and some overpassing, head coach Spencer Carbery went back to the drawing board midgame, sending out nine different combinations of forwards."
"The changes that have stuck come in the team's top-six forward group, with Connor McMichael switching wings and moving up to the top trio with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Ovechkin started on the right wing with Strome and Aliaksei Protas against Boston before Carbery moved McMichael up for 3:04 of ice time with the top line in the latter portion of the defeat."
"McMichael did play sparingly with Ovechkin and Strome at five-on-five last season, sharing the ice for 105 minutes. The connection wasn't great; the Capitals owned just 39.8 percent of shot attempts, 35.2 percent of expected goals, 38 percent of scoring chances, and 34.1 percent of high-danger chances with them on the ice. The Capitals' lone goal against the Bruins occurred after Carbery made the changes, with Protas registering the primary assist on Tom Wilson's first goal of the season."
The Washington Capitals scored one goal in a season-opening loss to the Boston Bruins despite generating 16 high-danger chances to Boston's five. Offensive output suffered from early-game miscues, bobbled pucks and overpassing, prompting head coach Spencer Carbery to try nine forward combinations midgame. Carbery kept several adjustments at practice, elevating Connor McMichael to the top trio with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome and switching his wing. McMichael previously shared 105 minutes five-on-five with Ovechkin and Strome but produced weak possession and expected-goals numbers. The lone goal came after the adjustments, with Aliaksei Protas recording the primary assist on Tom Wilson's goal.
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