Photo: Patrick Smith

“I, for one, hope the Caps expend effort only on being the better hockey team. I don’t care about “the code” and I don’t care about sending any message other than we’re the better hockey team and we’re going to beat you.”

That was Pat’s message in the pregame, as Wednesday’s game looked poised to devolve into a fiasco after Monday’s theatrics.

But in the opening minutes, it was the Buffalo Sabres who decided that playing better hockey was the best way to win hockey game, with six unanswered shot attempts to start the game. The pressure led to the game’s opening tally, as Jack Eichel wiggled the stick on his XBOX controller before setting up Brian Gionta to beat Braden Holtby.

Soon after the Buffalo tally, the Caps put things back where they belonged, outshooting the Sabres 13-3 in the closing minutes of the frame.

In the second, the Capitals had extended zone time, a juicy power play, and plenty of great looks at the net, but Chad Johnson somehow kept them at bay. Then the Sabres netminder did something really dumb, reversing a pass to Justin Williams, who flipped the puck into the empty net. Towards the end of the frame, Braden Holtby couldn’t track the pop fly and Zemgus Girgensons whacked in the go-ahead tally.

After Nicklas Backstrom went down with an injury, Evgeny Kuznetsov returned to his old place on the TKO line. Just like that, Kuzy made magic happen from behind the net. Alex Ovechkin’s sealed the deal from in front. Tie game.

A few minutes later, Kuznetsov skated the puck in from the half way to hashmarks, allowing Marcus Johansson to deflect the game-winner. Andre Burakovsky added insurance before Ovi popped in an empty netter. This team is good. Really, really good. Caps beat Sabres 5-2!

• Tom Wilson has a rep and I’m not sure what he can do about it. He spent more time in the penalty box than the ice in the first period for a relatively routine scrum.
• When Zach Sill got called up, some thought he was just here to punch faces and take names. I’m of the mind that he was supposed to be an expendable heatsink to prevent other players from getting yanked off the ice for five minutes if things got ugly. But surprisingly, Sill came to play, with two of Washington’s best scoring chances in the first period. The bruiser had two shots on goal in just 2:20 of ice time in the first.
• With John Carlson out for the second straight game, it was up to Washington’s youngsters to get the job done on D. Connor Carrick, who played in his first game since the 2013-14 season Monday night, looked great. No longer a 19-year-old trapped in an awful defensive system, Carrick comfortably jumped up in the play and anchored the second power play unit. He was Washington’s best defender and I’d like to see him stick in the lineup.
• FYI: Alex Ovechkin throws a lot of shots on net.

#Caps Alex Ovechkin has become the 19th NHL player to record 4,000 career shots on goal (became official stat in 1967-68 season)

— Ben Raby (@BenRaby31) December 31, 2015

Tonight marked the 42nd time in Alex Ovechkin’s NHL career in which he registered 10 or more shots on goal in a game.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 31, 2015

• “Everybody know Ovi from his stats. But I tell you, when you get on the ice with him and you see his shot for the first time, it’s crazy. It’s so, so hard. When I shoot, I can see my puck. When he shoots … Oh, come on. Where’s the puck?” In the net, Kuzy, for the 494th time.
• He added his 495th career tally with an ENG.
• Everyone on Twitter tweeted some variation of “Jack Eichel is good” as if that had hitherto gone unnoticed.
• By the way, Jack Eichel is good.
• Braden Holtby has not lost in regulation since November 10. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the leading purveyor of absurd stats, Holtby’s 17 straight games with a point sets the longest such streak in a single-season in the last five years.
• Calling all centers! Jay Beagle got hurt in the second, ending his last shift with 5:52 on the game clock. More worrisome, Nicklas Backstrom left the game with 1:07 left in the second. Time for some press releases on some players you’ve never heard of.
• Capitalizing on the depleted lineup, Andre Burakovsky scored his first goal since October 23 in Edmonton. Welcome back, ‘Dre. We’ve missed you. His first goal in 25 games.
• The second line was an occupying force in Buffalo’s defensive zone. Kuznetsov’s even strength shot attempt differential was shocking plus-27. That deserves a full “Holy crap!” Williams was plus-19. Two goals and five points for the second trio. It was a joy to watch.
• Chad Johnson deserves a gold star. It was a losing effort, but he was fantastic.
• Mr. Post was also pretty good at keeping the puck out of the net.

The Capitals have won nine games in a row. They are the best team in the National Hockey League. Sound familiar?