Party animal celebrates career achievement (Photo: @myregularface)

Twice this week the Capitals faced the Tampa Bay Lightning, maybe the best team in the east, and twice the Capitals have won. At home on Saturday night, the Caps played a steady game on unsteady ice. With a solid backstop and the consensus most underrated player in the league, the Caps seemed to have it sewn up until a late volley by the Bolts made it scary.

Both teams emerged scoreless from a power-play-packed first period, then Nick Backstrom struck twice in the second– both times up close. Backstrom earned the natural hat trick with a wrister from the slot in the third. Tyler Johnson ended the shutout in the final five minutes, and then Matthew Carle made it scary with a wrister super late.

But Eric Fehr got the empty netter because he’s bacon bits.

Caps beat Bolts 4-2! Backtrick!

• Hoo boy, Nicklas Backstrom. That was Nicky’s first regular-season hat trick and his first since the Montreal series, which I hate mentioning. Backstrom did it with efficiency– three goals on four shot attempts, all of them on net. All were up close– the slot or closer. Backstrom is the beststrom, probably the unanimous vote-getter for most underrated player in the NHL, which I suppose makes him just the most rated player in the league. That doesn’t sound as cool though.
• Top-line Tom Wilson should not leaving the game for five minutes just for the chance to exchange punches with fourth liner Brenden Morrow. That’s a bad trade and a bad use of Tommy’s skill set.
• Begrudging respect for Brooks Orpik bullet: Great work on that lame 5v3 the Caps had to kill in the second period. He wasn’t alone– Jay Beagle did yeoman’s work as well. This win wasn’t all on the stars.
• Steven Stamkos scored– kinda sorta– in the first period. Tell me what you make of this one. I think it’s a mostly straightforward goalie interference, but some said Brooks Orpik shoved Callahan into Holtby. Either way, the refs waved it off.

• Weird how penalties tend to even out– even if one team is acting noticeably more naughty than the other. The Caps got a bunch of power plays early, which they dutifully frittered with maddeningly weird zone entry tactics. The Bolts got grumpy about it, and voila, some soft make-up calls proliferated in the middle frame. Thank goodness the Caps were as good as killing as they were bad at converting PPs.
• It is wrong to say Alex Ovechkin had a quiet night when he had seven shots on net and two assists, but here I am, being wrong. He’s still, hands down, the single best celebrant in the league (no matter who scores) and I will fight anyone who disagrees. Ovi had his best chance of the night on a two-on-one with Backstrom, but he struck iron. Tragic ping.
• Eric Fehr makes everything better– including inspiring wins over real good teams.
• I do not like the Caps’ prevent defense. Have I mentioned that before?

Joe B suit of the night

Braden Holtby was four minutes and change away from his second shutout of the season when the Bolts summoned the spirit of the Harlem freaking Globetrotters to set up Tyler Johnson. Then Matt Carle cracked the Caps’ defensive shell after that. No matter; we’re not looking for perfection, just rarefaction. Holtby was excellent– particularly on that long penalty kill– and earned this win with flash glove saves and solid positioning. I’m okay with it; I just wish the Caps would be a little less conservative with the lead.

So ends another good week of Caps hockey, and a pretty fargin’ good one by my estimation.  Should be a fun snapshot tomorrow.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Lightning