What's Made The Tuch-Dubois-Wilson Line So Strong To Open The Capitals Season: 'We Want To Be The Line To Have The Puck The Whole Shift'

WASHINGTON — When putting together the Washington Capitals' new-look lines for the season, coach Spencer Carbery quickly found a combination that's enough to make any opponent weary, as he put Alex Tuch, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson together.

The result? A dominant, 5-on-5 line that's become everything the Capitals could hope for to open the new season – and then some.

Tuch-Dubois-Wilson combined for three goals and dictated play whenever it was on the ice in Wednesday's home-opening win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and led the way with a 71.89 expected goals-for percentage at 5-on-5.

"I think we're starting to find our groove a little bit," Wilson, who led the way with a goal and two assists, said. "I don't know how much Tuchy's played offside, so I think getting more familiar with that, just using our size, using our speed, thought we made good plays and put ourselves in opportunities to take advantage when they made mistakes."

As D.C. has opened the season 2-1, that first line has combined for 11 points in three games and a cumulative plus/minus rating of plus-10, and Wilson and Dubois are both tied for the team lead in points with four each.

For Carbery, a lot of that success stems from the players' attention to detail.

"They did such a good job of creating turnovers on the forecheck, putting their D under pressure, holding onto pucks, had multiple, long o-zone shifts," Carbery said. "Anytime that you can do those types of things consistently... it's a huge benefit."

Not only is that line putting the puck in the back of the net, but it's also going up against other team's top lines and takes good care of the puck. On Wednesday, that trio shut down and outplayed Sidney Crosby's top line, and Pittsburgh's captain went scoreless and ended the night as a minus-4.

When asked about shutting down Crosby and the line's standout two-way play, Wilson credited Dubois, who is looking to showcase his full skills et after an injury-riddled 2025-26, and Tuch, who signed an eight-year deal after being traded to D.C. this summer.

"I'm playing with two good players. The expectation was high, we have to help our team win games. Tuchy was a great add, Dubie is just, as far as a 200-foot centerman, he's one of the best in the game," Wilson said. "We're hopefully going to make it hard on any team's top guys, and then when we get the puck, we can take advantage."

Credit also goes to Wilson and what he's able to bring to the mix.

"He's just a very well-rounded player. Obviously, he's got that physical presence about him, but he's a great goal scorer. He's got a knack for the net, but he's just all-out work ethic," Tuch said. "He's just a really good skater, gets up and down the ice, and just really hard to play against. I've known that my whole entire career. You try to stay away from a guy like that as much as you can, and definitely keep your head up when he's out there on the ice. But yeah, with the puck, he makes plays that go unseen, and I think he's actually really good away from the puck too, creating space for his linemates."

It also helps when each player on that line towers at 6-foot-4, making it difficult for the opposition to find open space. For Dubois, that's another big factor in that line's early success.

"Sometimes when I'm standing out there, I feel small," Dubois laughed. "Tuchy and Willy make me feel safe out there... we want to be the line to go out there and just have the puck the whole shift and do it over and over and over again."

While that line has led the charge to start the season, Washington has been able to evenly distribute its minutes and rely on all four lines to be a threat on the ice.

That in itself has made a major difference in helping Wilson's line be utilized the way the coaching staff hopes in order to make the biggest impact. And ultimately, it's easy to see how it's helped that line, which hopes to build off the early momentum.

"We have a lot of experience in our room, so I think on any given night, somebody else can be called on, and whatever lines going, I think will drive the bus and then everyone else will follow," Wilson said. "It's nice when you hop over the boards to take a breather, and the next line is is full of experience and skill and talent and speed. It's a good feeling."