As if recording a primary assist on an Alex Ovechkin goal in their 900th game played together was not enough, Capitals Alternate Captain Nicklas Backstrom added another milestone to his already acclaimed NHL career by recording his 900th career point on Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils.
Heading into the game with 896 career points (all with the Caps), Backstrom inched closer with the aforementioned primary assist on Ovechkin’s 22nd goal of the 2019-20 season, which tied the game 1-1.
Backy to Ovi because DUH 🚨 #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/0WVOc5heLf
— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2019
Backstrom pulled within two points just 1:10 later when he scored his seventh goal of the season on assists from John Carlson and Tom Wilson. It gave Backstrom his seventh multi-point contest of the season.
You get one too, Backy! 🚨 #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/LfCwBhBBFK
— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2019
Backstrom’s 899th career point came on his second goal of the season came in the final minute of the second period, when he finished a beautiful passing play from Dmitry Orlov for his eighth of the season.
Backy & Forth ft. Dmitry Orlov 🚨#CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/AcfKczBGer
— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2019
Backstrom’s milestone point came on a secondary assist on a third period goal from John Carlson in the opening minute of the final frame.
Backstrom to Kempny to Carly… *chef’s kiss* #CapsDevils #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/YX20YKMgv1
— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2019
Backstrom’s 900th career point made him the second-fastest player in the 45-year history of the Washington Capitals to reach the 900-point mark (Ovechkin being the fastest) and only the second player ever to reach the mark. Backstrom’s 900th point also put him in rare company with Swedish-born players and makes him the first player drafted in 2006 to reach the nine-century mark in points.
Backstrom became the first player from the 2006 NHL Draft class to reach the 900 point mark and the seventh Swedish-born player in NHL history.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) December 21, 2019
Shortly after Backstrom’s 900th point was recorded, the Capitals posted a tribute to the fourth overall pick in 2006 to their social media accounts.
IT’S A 900 KINDA NIGHT! CONGRATS TO @backstrom19 ON 900 CAREER POINTS! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/9iEj487tfv
— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2019
Congratulations to Nicklas Backstrom on this monumental milestone!
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯 pic.twitter.com/ddjmrdRqvA
— Washington ☃️ Capitals (@Capitals) December 21, 2019
By Michael Fleetwood