Alexander Ovechkin's bittersweet piece of history overshadows Capitals' win

Alexander Ovechkin logged just 12:46 Friday night as the Washington Capitals opened their season with a 5-2 win in Carolina.

According to Sammi Silber, that's the lowest ice time of his career in a game where he wasn't ejected or injured. On opening night, no less.

"Alex Ovechkin skated just 12:46 minutes tonight, the lowest ice time of his career in a game where he wasn't ejected or injured."

The win makes it easy to shrug off. But the number jumps off the page for a forward still carrying a $4,250,000 cap hit.

Seven Washington forwards logged more ice time than No. 8. Justin Sourdif, at 13:00, was one of them.

Aliaksei Protas led all Capitals forwards at 17:36. Alex Tuch made his minutes count with two goals, including the winner.

Ovechkin wasn't invisible, either. He picked up an assist and finished plus-1 on a night Washington won by three.

But he put just one shot on goal. Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov had six on his own in a losing effort.

Spencer Carbery faces an Ovechkin minutes call in Tampa tonight

There's no time to dwell on it. The Capitals are in Tampa Bay tonight for the back end of a back-to-back, with puck drop at 7 p.m.

So was Friday a message or a plan? If Spencer Carbery trimmed the minutes with Saturday in mind, nobody should blink.

And it should be the plan. Riding a 41-year-old hard on the front end of a back-to-back is how you end up with a gassed scorer when the games actually tighten up.

Think of a headliner playing a shorter set while the opening acts warm up the crowd. Washington's kids handled the warm-up just fine.

Cole Hutson scored from the blue line and logged 17:08 as a 20-year-old. Ryan Leonard added a goal of his own.

Jakob Chychrun scored on the power play, and Dylan Strome picked up an assist with the man advantage. Ovechkin didn't factor on special teams.

The Russian forward wasn't the only big name in the low-minutes column. Jordan Kyrou, on an $8,125,000 cap hit, played 12:16 and was held off the scoresheet.

Logan Thompson made 31 saves on 33 shots, which gave the staff room to spread the minutes across all four lines.

The Capitals are 1-0-0 with a +3 goal differential. They've also handed Carolina a second straight loss, and the two teams meet again on Oct. 13.

The Lightning are still chasing their first win after a 5-1 loss to the Rangers. Jon Cooper's group won't be in a forgiving mood.

If No. 8 sees a bigger workload tonight, Friday was a blip. If the minutes stay in the 12s, Washington has turned a page nobody announced.

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