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It would not have been surprising to see the Capitals stand out on the first day of the season on Wednesday against the Boston Bruins.
After a summer of celebrating a Stanley Cup win, getting the Stanley Cup rings earlier in the week and then watching the Stanley Cup banner climb to the top of Capital One Arena, it would have It was quite understandable that the players elsewhere by the time the puck fell.
Todd Reirden, however, had none.
In the last 10 years, only two defending champions have won their first match. Reirden was determined to ensure that his players were focused on the beginning of the game, regardless of the emotions they may have felt during the pre-match ceremony.
"It was definitely a concern, so it's a problem that I've addressed more than once and that has been pretty tough [it] actually before the game with the guys, "said Reirden.
Wednesday's match seemed very secondary to the pre-match festivities, the last chapter of the triumphant Capitals celebration. But for a team in which everyone was waiting for some sort of disappointment, there was not one on Wednesday.
"Obviously, a little worried about how you will start the match after such a ceremony, but I think everyone looked like [at] it's the right way, "said Nicklas Backstrom." We considered this as a pump for us, so we immediately took off. "
T.J. Oshie scored just 24 seconds into the match and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored shortly after the Caps took the lead 2-0 less than two minutes into the season. The Caps would never look back what would become a 7-0 loss to a Bruins team with the aspirations of the Stanley Cup.
"We talked about enjoying the special moment, but making sure we're ready to go," said Devante Smith-Pelly. "It's safe to say we were ready to go."
Reirden was so concerned about how his team was going to start Wednesday, that he pitched a challenge to the team leaders.
"I asked the management group how they would react and how they were going to set the tone for our team tonight and I said that someone would do it, who will it be here? "said Reirden. "Not surprised to see our leaders grow stronger as they did and in the first five minutes of the game, they sent a strong message. I was really proud of them. "
Clearly, the message leaked in.
Braden Holtby missed 25 shots in a shutout, Backstrom scored three assists, including his 800th career point, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson and TJ Oshie all scored one goal and one assist and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice in the first half. performance of the team's renowned players.
Wednesday would be a special night in Washington, no matter what happened in the match. A phenomenal start to the season for the defense of the title has only made it even more enjoyable for the faithful of the Caps.
"I still believe that your way to start, the way you will play the rest of the season," Kuznetsov said. "It was a very important game for us and I like the way we play in defense, I like the way we follow the puck. Overall, we are doing everything we need to do. "
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