Photo credit: Nick Wass
Just past 7 pm, with multiple spotlights shining on him, a beautiful blonde Swede with terrible facial hair stepped on the ice at Verizon Center. Nicklas Backstrom, the 48th best player in the league according to The Hockey News, was back. He would waste no time making his presence felt. With the Capitals on the power play 15 minutes into the first period, which Washington dominated, Nicky set up TJ Oshie to open the scoring.
The Capitals continued control play through 40, but an inability to put the biscuit in the basket kept the Hurricanes in it.
But guess who added some insurance: none other than Nicklas Backstrom with a textbook half-wall, pinball, five-hole wrister. The Canes would get one back when Jeff Skinner beat Holtby on a three-on-two, but John Carlson sealed the deal on the power play. Alex Ovechkin added another, his third goal in three games. Caps top Canes 4-1!
- This morning, Barry Trotz said the Capitals needed to be much better in the opening 20 minutes of play. Slow starts had doomed the team in last season’s second round playoff series against the New York Rangers. The trend continued over the first two games this season. But it seems like the team listened to ol’ B Trotzy. The Capitals dominated the opening frame, outshooting the Hurricanes 17-5 in shots on goal and 25-5 in shot attempts. The Caps led 1-0 at the buzzer, but Cam Ward, playing back-to-back nights, kept it from being much worse.
- Some of the Capitals’ success probably had to do with the fact the Hurricanes suck and were tired.
- TJ Oshie scored a power play goal for the second game in a row, his first goals with the Capitals. And TJ Yoshie and his massive freaking head missed ’em both. Oshie finished with six shots on goal (seven attempted).
- Braden Holtby, the best looking human, was almost deformed by Justin Faulk as the Canes camped in Washington’s zone after Jay Beagle and John Carlson got called for stick fouls. Mr. Holtby was super pissed. It looked like he said some mean things.
- The Caps narrowly escaped that five-on-three. Bray Bray was scrambling, at times flopping right, left, and upside down. Taylor Chorney, though, may not be completely useless. He went and played goalie on a Jeff Skinner shot when Braden was on stomach, possibly saving a goal.
- Speaking of Chorney, he and his D-partner Dmitry Orlov barely saw the ice, though Chorney got some PK time when Carlson was in the box.
- Nicklas Backstrom, playing on the second line in his return, was in midseason assist king form. He set up Oshie’s goal, made a fantastic pass to Marcus Johansson who would have scored save for Ward’s good-ness, assisted on Carlson’s tally and scored himself.
- You can thank Jason Chimera.
https://twitter.com/myregularface/status/655521584367706113
- Your Capitals points leader: John Carlson with five. Backstrom, having played one game, is just two behind.
- The Hurricanes are on seven game road trip because of the North Carolina State Fair. The Caps will be swinging through western Canada because of the Washington International Horse Show. See you there.
- Brooks Orpik led all skaters in hits (5).
After two shaky opening contests, the Caps have put together two commanding games. Nicklas Backstrom’s back, dropping sublime passes, and scoring goals. Lovely.
See you next week when the Capitals head to the Great White North.
Drop the pitchforks, I’m still including this. May your Saturday night be sexy.
