As Pierre-Luc Dubois Returned, So Did The Capitals' Identity; Center Eager To Give More & Lead Charge On Other Side Of Break

Pierre-Luc Dubois shined for the Capitals, who looked a lot like their old selves, in his return from injury to lead D.C. to a vital 4-2 win over Nashville before the Olympic break.

WASHINGTON — As Pierre-Luc Dubois watched his shot hit the back of the net and the red light go off at Capital One Arena, a mix of emotions hit as he pumped his fist in celebration and waited by the boards to embrace his teammates.

It was something the Washington Capitals center hadn’t experienced in quite some time, not even earlier in the year when he appeared in six games while battling injury troubles. After missing the last 47 games following recovery from adduction surgery, Dubois put up a goal and assist to help not only lift his team to a crucial win, but inject some life and stability back into the lineup.

“Watching from upstairs, when a guy scores, you’re excited, but really being on the bench with everybody, the highs but also the lows and hearing the leadership group and guys when it’s time to push everybody in one direction or calm everyone down, that’s always really fun,” Dubois said.

While a multi-point outing is a good starting point, Dubois still feels he has more to give.

The 27-year-old admitted that there’s still rust to shake off and areas that he can fine-tune as he gets back in the swing of things, one of the reasons why he had planned an ambitious return to play ahead of the Olympic break.

“There’s a few times I thought I might throw up,” Dubois admitted with a laugh, also noting he’ll be sore when he wakes up Friday morning. “But all in all, it was pretty good.”

That said, Thursday was significant not only for Dubois, but for the Capitals, who saw exactly what having him at 100 percent can do for the lineup.

D.C. didn’t just get one of its top centers back; it got a major part of its identity back.