Pierre-Luc Dubois is already back on the scoresheet for the Washington Capitals.
Dubois returned to the Capitals’ lineup on Thursday night after missing 47 straight games due to an injury suffered in an October 31 game against the New York Islanders that required surgery. He didn’t wait long to make his presence felt, lighting the lamp behind Nashville Predators goalie Justus Annunen with 7:12 remaining in the first period.
With the Capitals on a power play, Dylan Strome pushed the puck into Nashville’s zone and battled for position with two Predators until Dubois picked up the loose biscuit and rifled it top shelf past Annunen.
“Watching the game from up in the stands for three months made me realize any shot is a good shot,” Dubois told Monumental Sports Network’s Al Koken at the first intermission. “It was a nice play by Stromer, puck just slid out to me, and I just needed to get it off quick.”
The goal was Dubois’s second point of the season after he went scoreless in the six October games that he did play. The 27-year-old pivot, who recorded a career-high 66 points (20g, 46a) in his first campaign with the Capitals last year, also notched an assist on linemate Tom Wilson’s goal to open the scoring.
For Dubois’s season re-debut, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery immediately placed him between Wilson and Aliaksei Protas on the team’s second line, reforming an oft-used trio from last year.
In the first period, Dubois skated 4:57 of ice time, recording his goal, one assist, one shot, one individual scoring chance, and he went 1-0 in the faceoff dot. He admitted that he certainly felt rusty but was happy to be back in a familiar role.
“It wasn’t perfect,” Dubois said. “Game’s a lot faster than when I played three months ago, but baby steps. Good players out there for me to play with, so they make my life a lot easier.”
The game against the Predators is the Capitals’ last before the NHL breaks for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Dubois won’t get his second game back from injury until February 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
