Tomas Vokoun told his teammates before Wednesday night’s meeting with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins that he planned to be involved in the contest, not just by making saves but by playing the puck and taking a more active role in helping out the defense. It’s impossible to know whether the Washington Capitals anticipated just how good a performance the veteran netminder would have, though.

Displaying confidence from the start, Vokoun finished with 30 saves and his first shutout since Oct. 18 to lead the Capitals to a much-needed 1-0 win over Pittsburgh at Verizon Center.