Capitals Open Season Against Bruins With Focus on Building Depth
Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Capital One Arena
- TV: MNMT
- Radio: 106.7 THE FAN, Caps Radio Network
Following a remarkable 2024-25 season that celebrated the franchise’s 50th anniversary, the Washington Capitals are set to begin their next half-century of hockey. After a year in which nearly every player posted career-best numbers, the team aims to prove its success was no aberration as they open the 2025-26 schedule at home against the Boston Bruins.
“You work hard all summer to get ready for this moment,” said captain Alex Ovechkin, who begins his 21st NHL season. “Of course it’s going to be an exciting night for us… The real deal is coming.”
After a 20-point improvement in the standings last season, the Capitals are focused on solidifying their lineup rather than making another dramatic leap. The primary area of attention is establishing a consistent and productive third forward line to complement their established top-six and the reliable checking line centered by Nic Dowd.
Stepping into that crucial center role is Hendrix Lapierre, a 23-year-old aiming to secure a full-time NHL spot in his fourth professional season. After an inconsistent start last year that led to a mid-season return to the AHL, Lapierre has impressed throughout training camp with renewed determination. He is expected to skate between veteran winger Anthony Beauvillier and prized rookie Ryan Leonard.
“With the camp that Hendrix has had, with the way that he’s looked… he’s earned an opportunity to play in that role right now and to try to take another crack at it,” said coach Spencer Carbery. “He’s a year older, a year more mature, a year more understanding of what he needs to do at the NHL level.”
Lapierre’s journey mirrors that of teammate Connor McMichael, who overcame his own early-career struggles to become a bona fide top-six forward last season. Lapierre is focused on adding consistency to his game, a quality he admits was lacking a year ago.
“Last year was just a confidence and consistency thing,” Lapierre said. “I had a better camp than last year, so with that comes a little more confidence and a little more swagger. I want to show that I can be a good two-way and very smart player.”
Flanking him is Ryan Leonard, the highly touted 20-year-old drafted eighth overall in 2023. After joining the team late last season for 17 regular season and playoff games, Leonard has shown increasing confidence. Carbery acknowledges that while young players will make mistakes, the goal is for them to become dependable in all situations.
“This year he’ll get more opportunities,” Carbery said of Leonard. “I think he’s learned a lot from his experiences, and he understands where that line is that he needs to play on, between being creative and when he needs to make a strong, smart play.”
The line’s veteran presence is Anthony Beauvillier, a 10-year veteran with 631 games of experience. Carbery views him as a key mentor for his younger linemates.
“Beauvillier is a key player because he has so much experience and is such a versatile player that he can really help two young players like that understand what needs to be done shift-to-shift,” Carbery explained.
Beauvillier believes the trio’s chemistry will be built on their shared style of play.
“We have to use our speed; I think that’s going to be our biggest advantage,” he said. “Use it to make plays, and play quick, and lots of give-and-goes. That’s what we’re going to have to do to have success as a line.”
For Carbery, the immediate benchmark for the new line is simple: reliability.
“’Reliable’ is the key word, because when you’re reliable to your teammates and the coaches, you earn more opportunity,” the coach stated. “The reliability component is probably the most important for a young player, because they earn trust.”
