This post was written by DCist contributor Jesse Rounds

The Washington Capitals successfully started the final third of the season last night with a 5-3 win over Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. A solid game by second string goalie Brent Johnson and the first career two goal game by Matt Pettinger gave Washington the 20th win of their season. The Caps took advantage of the fact that many of the Maple Leafs stars had played deep into the Olympics. On the other hand, the Caps were rested and only Steve Eminger was missing from the regular roster. The team’s representatives at the Olympics: Olie Kolzig, Alexander Ovechkin, and Ivan Majesky were left out of the medals in Turin and were thus able to rest a little.

Mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, the Caps face the remaining games with some big questions. Other than Brendan Witt, who will be gone by the March 9th trading deadline? Should “The Hockey Song” be played at all home games? What will GM George McPhee’s strategy be at the negotiating table?

The team has two more games on the road (against the Ottawa Senators and the Atlanta Thrashers) before returning to the MCI Center on March 6th against the Islanders.

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