The new-look Washington Capitals finally got to see part of their group in action for the first time on Sunday in their preseason opener against the Boston Bruins, as Alex Tuch and more made their debuts while prospects like Ivan Miroshnichenko looked to put themselves on the radar.

And though it was a good battle, things ultimately came down to a skills competition, where D.C. fell 3-2 in a shootout.

Here are all the takeaways and what to know from the loss.

Miroshnichenko has been catching the coaching staff's eye so far through the start of a very important camp for him, as he looks to make a very deep Capitals roster and avoid waivers. And Sunday was no different.

In his preseason debut, Miroshnichenko shined, commanding time and space as he helped drive quite a bit of offense on a line with Brodzinski and Josh Dunne.

First, he had an assist, as he collected a pass from Dunne and found Brodzinski all alone in front for his first goal in a Washington sweater to make it 1-0 in the first.

Then, with the score all tied up in the third, the 22-year-old took matters into his own hands and drove to the netfront, staying with the play and standing his ground before the puck was ultimately deflected in off a Bruins defender to make it 2-1 before Boston ultimately tied things up late and forced overtime and a shootout.

Miroshnichenko not only finished the night with a goal and assist, but he also had a team-leading six shots, 10 attempts and two hits through 13:52 minutes of ice time.

In addition to Miroshnichenko, Brodzinski also stood out, as he navigated the ice well, got to the open space and helped generate pressure and had a goal, five shot attempts and a plus-minus of plus-10 through 12:43 minutes. He also led the team with a 81.82 Corsi-for percentage and an 89.08 expected goals-for percentage at all strengths.

Not only is Vincent Desharnais trying to be a "fun uncle" figure to defensive partner Cole Hutson, but he's also looking to protect him and complement his offensive style in this next chapter of his career.

The 30-year-old did just that, and looked steady alongside Hutson, who was heavily utilized over the course of the night. Desharnais was physical and dominant on the ice, as he had five hits and freed up Hutson to move the puck more. He also played a key role on the penalty kill, skating 5:14 minutes shorthanded and getting to work with Matt Roy and others.

Through 18:13 minutes in his debut, Desharnais had two penalty minutes and a takeaway while getting 11:55 minutes alongside Hutson at 5-on-5. They had some chemistry, but still need time to develop more good habits while working together. Hutson, meanwhile, had 22:14 minutes of ice time and generated a couple looks while also quarterbacking one of the power-play units.

Though the power play went 0-for-7, it generated quite a few looks and 14 total shots. Washington had practiced power play the day before, but with different personnel most all of those regulars weren't on hand for Sunday's contest.

In addition to that pairing, Washington also got to see a number of its other potential combinations in action, with Tom Wilson, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alex Tuch getting time together and Boone Jenner debuting with Justin Sourdif and Anthony Beauvillier.

The Tuch-Dubois-Wilson line gelled well, with a 83.33 Corsi-for percentage and 66.67 shots-for percentage at 5-on-5. Beyond the stats, they also passed the eye test, taking up a lot of time and space, feeding well off one another and generating quite a few chances in limited 5-on-5 time (there were several penalties on both sides).

The potential fourth line of Jenner-Sourdif-Beauvillier got some good looks as it continues to gel, though the advanced numbers indicate a 50-50 split on the Corsi and possession front.

Lynden Lakovic recalled that when he'd made his preseason debut for D.C. last year, he'd played nervous, and never really felt comfortable. That was far from the case against Boston, as he made a statement with a strong showing.

After an illegal equipment penalty for his visor (the belief is it wasn't low enough) in the first, Lakovic got to work and made a statement with his play, managing a shot, three attempts and four hits through 10:34 minutes playing with Petr Sikora and Bogdan Trineyev.

The 19-year-old is set to make the pro jump this season, and put himself on a radar every time he touched the ice with his skating, hands, hockey IQ and awareness. He also had a 79.19 expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5, second on the team behind linemate Sikora (81.46).

Speaking of Sikora, he's been on the rise as a gritty, strong two-way Capitals prospect to watch, and he showed why in limited minutes as he did a good job on the forecheck and took care of things against the Bruins at even strength.

- Pierre-Luc Dubois wore the third "A" with Roy and Tom Wilson. He's been a mentor to the team's younger players since arriving in Washington and has played a key leadership role.

- Logan Thompson had an impressive return to play with 28 saves on 30 shots, including a couple of standout glove stops. He also took a shot to the mask, but was okay to remain in. He played the full game and gave up the lone shootout goal.

- Tuch led all Capitals at 5-on-5 in Corsi-for percentage (71.43) and shots-for percentage (66.67).

- Jakob Chychrun logged a team-leading 27:30 minutes of ice time, and Roy led with nine hits.