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Pens to face Cup champs in home debut

The Washington Capitals will raise their first Stanley Cup banner and open their title defense on Oct. 3 against the Boston Bruins — not the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.

Washington did not face the Bruins during its Cup run but has beaten them 12 consecutive times in regular-season play. The Capitals beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights for the first championship in their 43-season franchise history.

The Capitals will open the rival Penguins’ season on Oct. 4 in Pittsburgh and serve as the road team in one other home opener, at New Jersey on Oct. 11. The NHL announced home openers for all 31 teams on Wednesday and will release the full schedule on Thursday.

The Capitals were there for the Penguins’ banner-raising ceremony in 2016 after losing to Pittsburgh in the second round.

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