The wins seem as plentiful now as the snowflakes dropping on Washington, D.C. this weekend.
The Capitals aren’t playing perfect hockey. But they are playing resourceful hockey and so often these days that’s enough. It was a familiar refrain on a snowy Friday night at Verizon Center. The Atlanta Thrashers had far more shots on goal. But in the end the Caps were the ones celebrating a 5-2 victory – No. 13 in a row overall as the team makes a run at NHL history.
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Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and an assist before leaving with what he called “a headache.” Backstrom does have a history of migraines and left the arena with a 12-pack of orange Gatorade in his arms. Alex Ovechkin, meanwhile, also scored a goal and added an assist. He continues to lead the NHL in goals and points despite playing just 50 games. Goals by Jason Chimera and Alex Semin early in the third period – just 1 minute, 8 seconds apart – extended Washington’s lead to 4-1. Defenseman Mike Green, back from a three-game suspension, scored the final goal, an empty-netter with 1:27 to play.
“You don’t realize how hard it is to win,” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. “It’s difficult to stay at a pace where every team you’re playing is coming at you in waves because they’re the ones that want to end it … You have to be at the top of your game all the time.”
The Caps are now tied for the third-longest winning streak in NHL history. Only the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins (17) and the 1981-82 New York Islanders (15) won more. That sets up a delicious subplot when the Penguins visit on Sunday afternoon for a nationally televised game on NBC.
“You’re playing against the Stanley Cup champions,” Boudreau said. “And I don’t know, but I’ve got to believe – even if they say we’re not a big rival of theirs – that they would take an awful lot of pleasure in beating us on Sunday in our building.”
Caps rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth returned from a brief stint at AHL Hershey to put together another strong performance. He stopped 43 of 45 shots and one of those snuck past him when a back-checking Semin – following up his own turnover – knocked Neuvirth and the puck into the goal after he made an initial shorthanded save. Neuvirth was recalled on Friday to start for Jose Theodore, who had just played the night before against the New York Rangers and appeared in nine of the 13 games during this streak.
“This is Theo’s streak,” Neuvirth said. “He’s done most of the hard work. I’m just glad I could come in today and play well – even though I didn’t start off too good in the first period.”
