When he was still roommates with fellow Washington Capitals forwards Tom Wilson and Michael Latta, Andre Burakovsky would buy dinner whenever he scored the goal, a tradition all three followed. But it must not count in the preseason: Wilson didn’t buy dinner after his goal against Carolina on Monday, so Burakovsky didn’t plan to after he scored on his first shift in Montreal on Thursday.
Burakovsky will uphold this sacred pact come the regular season, even though he now has his own apartment, a personal step he was ready for in his second season with the Capitals. He also feels ready to play center again, even though he moved back to wing at the end of last season.