The Washington Capitals have struggled mightily in January, and that continued in its game against the Ottawa Senators. The Capitals fell behind 2-0 and went scoreless in the first two periods.
But then its stars took care of business. Alex Ovechkin scored twice in the third period and Nicklas Backstrom ended the game 1:13 in overtime to collect two key standings points.
After the Capitals celebrated their win, NBC Sports Washington’s Al Koken asked Ovechkin on the Capitals’ bench how he would describe Backstrom’s breakaway tally.
“Would you call it a pretty sick goal?” Koken asked.
“Uh, yeah,” Ovechkin said. The Capitals’ captain then began searching his cranium for the perfect adjectives.
“I call it sexy goal,” he replied.
sexy. pic.twitter.com/oXDHLdMSEl
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 23, 2022
Inside the Capitals’ interview room, Backstrom was asked by The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir if his somewhat ridiculous tally was just a waiting game where Senators’ goaltender Matt Murray blinked first.
“I guess so. I mean, this time it worked,” Backstrom said. “We got lucky there, I think. It hit my shin pads. Otherwise, it probably would have been a three-on-two the other way, but we’ll take it. Obviously, it’s nice to score a goal.”
Backstrom explained that he held onto the puck so long because the Capital One Arena ice was not playing kind to the biscuit.
“I felt like the puck was bouncing a little bit so I was trying to make it flat and then I got too close to shoot I thought,” Backstrom said. “You have to trust the good ol’ backhand sometime.”
As for Backstrom, the 3-2 win marked his first multi-point game of the season. The Swedish center has eight points (2g, 6a) in his first nine games.
“It was gonna take me a couple games,” Backstrom said. “I think I’m starting to get the timing back (after my hip injury). Obviously, conditioning, too. I’m feeling better. Getting some more touches. It’s all about that. Just feeling comfortable out there.”
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 23, 2022
Screenshot: NBC Sports Washington
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