Photo: Adam Hunger
Alex Ovechkin will be remembered as the hero of this Caps-Rangers game. Scoring in overtime, Ovechkin skated past six-time all star Rick Nash and beat one of the best goalies in the game, Henrik Lundqvist, in the slot. His exuberant, clumsy celebration was the stuff of legend.
But without Nicklas Backstrom, the Capitals would have never pushed the game to overtime in the first place.
Stymied several times in the final minute with an extra attacker, the Caps finally got to Henrik Lundqvist after a Justin Williams shot from the point with eight seconds remaining. The rebound bounced off Lundqvist’s pads. Backstrom, at the right place at the right time, then jammed the puck through the five hole for the miraculous tally.
It was Backstrom’s 13th goal of the season, and an incredible one at that. Consider this. This is the second time Backstrom has tied the game in the final minute this year. He also scored with 0.8 seconds left during a home game against Toronto in November.
Nicklas Backstrom scores the GTG with 5.7 seconds left. Wow! pic.twitter.com/K515Ql9AII
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) January 9, 2016
After the game, most of the talk centered on Ovechkin, overshadowing Backstrom’s heroics again. And of course, it did.
The lime light was never Nicky’s thing any way.
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