WASHINGTON — It was a different kind of atmosphere on Wednesday at Capital One Arena, one filled with emotion, anticipation and nerves aplenty, as Alex Ovechkin took the ice for what would be his final home opener, in fitting fashion as the Washington Capitals took on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

While a quick start from his line, and a standout game from the Tuch-Dubois-Wilson trio gave the Capitals a commanding lead in the second, the Penguins got back in the game, but special teams and Logan Thompson paved the way for a 5-3 win.

Here are the takeaways:

From the moment the puck dropped, Washington had no problem dominating at 5-on-5, and a lot of it was thanks to the work of the bono fide top line of Alex Tuch, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson.

Washington's heavyweight trio got to work quickly, and halfway through the first, with the game tied at 1, a hard-working shift from Tuch forced Kris Letang to turn the puck over behind the net to Dubois, who fed Wilson in the slot to restore the lead.

That line kept the momentum going in the second, as Tuch again forced an error for Pittsburgh, this time pressuring Arturs Silovs as he played the puck behind the net and coughed it up Wilson. Wilson then returned the favor, finding Dubois for a lay-up in front.

Minutes later, that line forced a 2-on-0 break for Wilson and Tuch, and after a give-and-go, Tuch called his number to get on the board for its third goal of the night.

Ultimately, that line paved the way for the win and led with a 71.89 goals-for percentage at 5-on-5. Wilson also led with three points (one goal, two assists).

Though the Capitals got out to a commanding 4-1 lead, some errors in the second let the Penguins pull back within one.

First, a shot that rang off the crossbar rang right back out to Tommy Novak, who beat a diving Logan Thompson. Minutes later, Nick Robertson redirected a feed home to make it a 4-3 game.

The third line of Aliaksei Protas, Ilya Protas and Jordan Kyrou struggled, as they were on the ice for all three goals and struggled to contain the Penguins' offense, which outshot D.C. 13-5 after a strong first.

Ultimately, it was special teams that turned things around for Washington. The Capitals went to the power play early in the frame, and after a dominant shift from the first unit, Ryan Leonard cashed in on a feed from Jordan Kyrou as time wound down to put Washington back up by two.

Meanwhile, defensively, the Capitals penalty kill shut down three total Pittsburgh power plays, including a pivotal one in the final half of the third, and Logan Thompson came in clutch in the final 20 to help Washington secure two points.

Thompson finished the night with 27 saves on 30 shots as he shut down a point-blank chance for Bryan Rust in front and a breakaway for Blake Lizotte out of the box, among several other opportunities.

To kick off the festivities at Capital One Arena, Washington announced its opening night roster to the fanbase, and as has been the case, saved the captain for last.

Before he even stepped out on the ice, chants of "Ovi" filled the air before his young sons, Sergei and Ilya, took over the microphone to introduce their father to the ice. Then, the applause started, getting louder as fans relished the moment.

Ovechkin appeared to take it all in, too, saluting the crowd as he skated to center ice, uniting with his teammates on opening night for the last time.

It set the stage for a strong start for the 41-year-old, who pressured Trevor van Riemsdyk just seconds into action to force a turnover that led to a breakaway goal for Anthony Beauvillier.