NHL: Backstrom Leads Capitals to Game 4 Overtime Victory

The Washington Capitals came into tonight’s Game Four facing what could have been a three-games-to-one series deficit with a loss or tying the series at two a piece with a win. But fortunately for the team, it was the latter that took place thanks to Washington Center Nicklas Backstrom.

For the first time in this series, the Capitals scored first. Backstrom cleanly won a faceoff to the right of Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak and defenseman John Carlson corralled the puck. Carlson then sent an innocent looking shot toward Halak, which was deflected out of mid air and into the net by right winger Alex Ovechkin. The goal came 13:06 into the first period.

With a few seconds remaining in the first frame, Islanders right winger Cal Clutterbuck cut through all five Capitals players on the ice and ripped a shot on goaltender Braden Holtby. Holtby gave up a big rebound while getting some lackadaisical help from the defenders in front of him. Islanders center Casey Cizikas netted the rebound to tie the game with just 12.6 remaining in the first.

The second period saw Washington go on the penalty kill three times. Two consecutive penalties were provided by right winger Tom Wilson just 24 seconds after departing the penalty box on his first penalty. The penalties also allowed the Capitals to start the series 10-for-10 on the penalty kill.

Through two periods, Washington was outshot 28-16 and 15-6 in the second period alone.

The Caps played a more even game with New York in the third period. Shots in the final period were 7-6 with Washington walking to the locker room winning that category.

For the second consecutive game, this series required a game that went longer than 60 minutes.

At the 11:09 point into overtime, Backstrom received the puck down low to Halak’s left and cycled up by the blue line. He then threw the puck at the net with right winger Joel Ward screening Halak.

Halak never saw the puck on the Backstrom shot. When he did, the Capitals were already celebrating their first ever overtime playoff win at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Previously Washington was 0-4 in playoff overtime games at the Islanders “old barn.”

For the second time in as many games, Braden Holtby kept his team in the game when the Caps were massively outplayed early.

While the Capitals were caught celebrating after the OT win by television cameras, it was revealed that Caps’ defenseman Brooks Orpik was hit in the visor by a beer thrown from the Islanders crowd. This happened in addition to him taking a skate from a teammate in the first period of the game. To his credit he returned to the ice in time to play in the second.

This type of thing had occurred at the previous game at the Islanders’ venue and after it, a group of Capitals fans wrote an open letter to New York about their experience at Nassau Coliseum. They had experienced multiple insults including racial and homophobic slurs. They also claimed to have been threatened physically numerous times. Upon returning to their cars, one realized his was keyed and the license plates had been stolen. No doubt Head Coach Barry Trotz is going to be happy to take this opponent back to the Verizon Center.

The series moves back to the Verizon Center. Game 5 will be played at 7 p.m. Thursday.