Capitals vs. Penguins: Tom Wilson Leads Washington to a Win in Alex Ovechkin's Final Home Opener

Every farewell tour needs a strong opening night, and the Washington Capitals delivered one for Alex Ovechkin on Wednesday. The headliner did not score, but his band played loud enough to fill the building.

Tom Wilson had a goal and two assists, Pierre-Luc Dubois added a goal and an assist, and the Capitals held off a Pittsburgh comeback bid to beat the Penguins 5-3 at Capital One Arena in Ovechkin's final home opener. Anthony Beauvillier, Alex Tuch and Ryan Leonard also scored, and Logan Thompson made 27 saves as Washington gave the home crowd exactly the result it came for.

A Night Built Around Ovechkin

The AP reported that Ovechkin announced earlier in the week that this season will be his last in the NHL. Before puck drop, the Capitals introduced their roster one player at a time and saved the league's career goals leader for last, and the crowd answered with a standing ovation.

The rivalry angle was impossible to miss. Per the AP, this is the 22nd straight season that Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have faced each other at some point, and only one forward duo in NHL history has met in more consecutive seasons: Mark Messier and Ron Francis, at 23.

Then the hockey started, and it started fast.

Washington Jumps, Pittsburgh Claws Back

Beauvillier needed 23 seconds. He broke in alone and beat Arturs Silovs on the glove side with a backhand for a 1-0 lead, and NHL.com noted it was his 300th NHL point.

Pittsburgh answered 56 seconds later. Bryan Rust, playing his first game of the season, beat Ilya Protas to the goal line on the left side and banked a shot in off Thompson for a 1-1 tie.

The Penguins then started handing out gifts. Kris Letang's blind pass in his own zone went straight to Dubois behind the net, and Dubois, without even looking, found Wilson all alone in the slot. Wilson did not miss, and it was 2-1 at 11:51.

In the second, Silovs wandered behind his net to play the puck, Wilson pounced, and his quick feed to the front let Dubois snap home a 3-1 lead at 4:42. At 13:14, Tuch jumped a Declan Carlile pass, and the result was every goalie's nightmare: a 2-on-0 with Wilson. They played a quick game of catch, and Tuch finished it for a 4-1 lead.

That should have been the end of the drama. It was not.

Just 51 seconds after Tuch's goal, Evgeni Malkin rang a 2-on-1 shot off the left post, and Tommy Novak knocked in the rebound to make it 4-2. At 18:01, Nick Robertson deflected a Kaedan Korczak point shot past Thompson, and suddenly a three-goal lead was a one-goal lead heading into the third.

"Maybe we just didn't have our legs at the start, but I think we had a little bit of a pushback there in the second, so definitely want to look at the positives as well," Penguins forward Ben Kindel said.

Turning Point: Leonard Restores the Cushion

The Capitals needed a response, and their power play delivered one early in the third. With Trevor van Riemsdyk serving a hooking minor, Leonard ripped a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle at 3:55 to make it 5-3.

Jordan Kyrou picked up the primary assist for his first point with Washington. NHL.com noted the Capitals acquired him from St. Louis in a June trade that sent Connor McMichael, Milton Gastrin and a first-round pick to the Blues.

Thompson then made sure the two-goal cushion stayed intact. Blake Lizotte came out of the penalty box after serving a tripping minor for taking down Ovechkin and found himself alone on a breakaway, but Thompson shut the door. Later, Dubois was called for boarding Carlile, who was shaken up on the play, according to the AP. Pittsburgh could not score on the ensuing power play.

Wilson and the Dubois Line Steal the Show

Wilson was the best player on the ice, scoring once and setting up Dubois and Tuch while finishing plus-3 in 19:49. His line with Dubois and Tuch combined for three goals and six points, and it did that damage against Crosby's group.

"Dubie's line was so good tonight with (Alex) Tuch and (Wilson) and just did such a good job of creating turnovers on the forecheck, putting their 'D' under pressure, holding onto pucks," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "And it was against (Sidney Crosby), so anytime that you can do those types of things consistently and win that matchup, it's a huge benefit for a team."

The AP noted Crosby was on the ice for every Washington even-strength goal and finished minus-4. His only career minus-5 came on March 6, 2014, at San Jose.

Wilson saved his praise for Tuch.

"He's really smart," Wilson said. "Obviously, he's got a ton of skill, but he puts himself in the right spots to create offense."

Ovechkin, for his part, sounded like a guy who enjoyed the view from the bench.

"Huge goal by 'Beau,' and 'LT' was outstanding today as well," Ovechkin said.

Stats That Matter

• 22-7: Hits, Washington over Pittsburgh. The Capitals played the heavier game.
• 31-22: Faceoffs won by Washington, a 58.5 percent clip.
• 21-11: Giveaways, Pittsburgh vs. Washington. Three Washington goals started with Pittsburgh turnovers.
• 1-for-4: Washington's power play, which produced the insurance goal. Pittsburgh went 0-for-3.
• 27 saves: Thompson's total on 30 shots, including the breakaway stop on Lizotte.

What It Means

Washington improves to 2-1-0 and 1-0-0 at home, bouncing back from a 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Saturday. The Capitals host the New York Rangers on Friday night.

Pittsburgh falls to 2-2-0 and 1-1-0 on the road, and the 2-0 start that included a 7-0 win in Philadelphia now has two straight losses attached to it. Rust's return was the silver lining, but he did not sugarcoat the first 30 minutes.

"First half of the game, we weren't the team we wanted to be," Rust said. "But I think the second half of the game was a bit of a different story. I think we played hard."

Coach Dan Muse was less forgiving: "I didn't like the way we played. The types of chances they were getting. We've got to control the momentum of the game."

The Penguins visit Columbus on Friday night.

Closing Take

Ovechkin's final season will be measured in milestones, ovations and goodbyes, but opening night was about the supporting cast proving it can carry a tune. Wilson, Dubois and Tuch outworked Crosby's group, Thompson closed the door, and the crowd got its happy ending. If this is how the farewell tour starts, the encore should be worth the price of admission.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details from the Associated Press and NHL.com; postgame quotes as reported by NHL.com.