Capitals Edge Senators 3-2 in a Coin-Flip Game

Washington walks out of Canadian Tire Centre with a 3-2 win, and the scoreboard says it all: one goal separated these two teams, and the Capitals were the ones who grabbed it. Road teams don't get many easy nights in Ottawa, so a result like this deserves some credit even if it wasn't pretty to watch.

Close games are a referee's nightmare and a bettor's headache, and this one fit the mold. Three goals for Washington is a respectable total, but a two-goal output from the home side tells you Ottawa had chances to make it a different night and didn't convert enough of them to change the outcome. That's the difference between a team that's almost there and one that actually gets it done.

Here's the honest takeaway for Senators fans: you can lose a one-goal game and still have plenty to chew on, but losing at home by a single tally stings because there's no sweeter feeling than watching your own building go quiet at the final horn. For Capitals fans, it's two points in the bank and a reminder that gritty wins count the same as blowouts in the standings.

Whatever you thought going in, this game had the tight, tense feel of a matchup that could have gone either way. Washington got the bounce it needed, and Ottawa will be looking for a rematch of its own. Drop your takes below. Who was the real difference-maker on Thursday night?