Feb 25, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin (38) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images

Welcome back to the NHL season, Caps fans! The NHL was back in action tonight after a 19 day break for the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the Washington Capitals hit the ice for a matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers. A few things to note for the Caps: both John Carlson (lower body) and Tom Wilson (illness) are out of the lineup, birthday boy and Olympian Logan Thompson is in net, and Connor McMichael was activated from IR this morning and in the lineup. The Caps and Flyers were trending in opposite directions before the break, with Washington getting hot and the Flyers…not. That sounds like a recipe for a Caps’ loss…

Plus: Tonight was apparently “Caps defensemen breaking goal-scoring droughts” night at Capital One, because both Rasmus Sandin and Trevor van Riemsdyk found the back of the net after long stretches without a goal. Sandin had gone 40 games without scoring, and TvR had gone 38. Two other blueliners were not to be left out of the offense, though, because both Jakob Chychrun and Declan Chisholm got on the scoresheet with assists.

Minus: The Capitals certainly did not hit the ice running in their first game back. The first period was more like…walking in slow motion. They finished the period with only seven shots on goal, and most of those came in the final third of the frame. Perhaps this time it can be blamed on the lengthy Olympic break but the Caps are unfortunately known for slow starts, so hopefully this was just a one-off while they shake off some rust.

Caps Player of the Game: Logan Thompson didn’t miss a single beat while representing Canada in Milan, and he kept the rest of his team in the game during their sluggish first period. He also recorded his 20th win of the season on his birthday, so the player of the game honors feel extra fitting!

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