Screen cap: Instagram: @Divvy
Thursday night’s 3-2 shootout victory over rival Pittsburgh can be credited to any number of Capitals players. Alex Ovechkin’s power play goal and Marcus Johansson’s late tally propelled the Capitals to eventually sending the game into overtime and ultimately to a decisive shootout.
In the shootout, it would be Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom that would convert on their attempts, in combination with strong goaltender play by Darcy Kuemper, that eventually awarded the Capitals the extra point.
Kuznetsov would be the first to convert, utilizing his unique (for now) slow-rolling approach, ultimately going low blocker side on Penguins netminder Casey DeSmith.
Evgeny Kuznetsov did it again…😂 pic.twitter.com/01NxuOu0Fz
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) January 27, 2023
Nicklas Backstrom would follow Kuznetsov and also convert, also in the same location as Kuznetsov.
SWEET SWEET NICKY SHOOTOUT WINNER pic.twitter.com/ne30SWhxwB
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 27, 2023
Backstrom and Kuznetsov exchanged a few seemingly guarded words following Backstrom’s successful shootout attempt. It appeared as if they were exchanging notes, and agreeing on the successful recipe for beating DeSmith. [at the end of the following video].
Backy and Kuzy exchanging notes. #ALLCAPS [🎥 IG: @divvy] pic.twitter.com/5eKJqwBbZ9
— #ALLCAPS (@JonItBe) January 27, 2023
“I had seen Kuznetsov put one just before and tried to do like him,” Backstrom told Swedish media outlet Sportbladet after the game. [Translated by Google Translate] “The scouts had informed us where there are sometimes gaps in the target ice, so I looked there and found one.”
Scouts rarely receive much in the way of public kudos of any kind, but are such an important part of a team’s success (or lack there of). Stick taps to the Capitals scouting folks for their work in preparation for the Penguins. A job well done.
By Jon Sorensen