Oliver Moore scored, and Drew Commesso made 19 saves for the Blackhawks (18-19-7). Commesso started his second NHL game, his third overall for Chicago, after being recalled from the American Hockey League. He was in goal due to goalies Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom being out with illness. Commesso's last NHL appearance was on December 14, 2024.
Connor Bedard returned to Chicago's lineup after missing 12 games due to an upper-body injury sustained on December 12 during a loss to the St. Louis Blues. He recorded no points and had four shots on goal in 17:07 of ice time. Bedard stated he felt fine, acknowledging a game where the puck movement was challenging.
Forward Ilya Mikheyev and defenseman Louis Crevier were also absent from the Blackhawks' lineup due to illness.
Chicago coach Jeff Blashill noted that the team's performance was subpar, attributing it to several players feeling unwell and late roster changes, including Commesso being placed in a difficult situation. He acknowledged that such nights occur in the league and that the team would need to adapt for their next game.
Anthony Beauvillier scored the Capitals' first goal at 4:03 in the first period, redirecting a shot from Fehervary.
McMichael extended the lead to 2-0 at 15:07, scoring on a breakaway assisted by Leonard. He advanced into the offensive zone and shot the puck between Commesso's pads. McMichael credited Leonard for the pass and noted the goal was scored through the goalie's pads after a prior series of similar scoring attempts.