Capitals 5, Thrashers 2

The historic 13th win of the Washington Capitals’ win streak came during the start of a historic blizzard.

While blizzard conditions pounded the Washington, D.C. area, most fans still braved the conditions to support the Capitals, who rewarded fans with a victory.

After getting down 1-0 in the first period, the Capitals stormed back and scored the game’s next four goals, and capped off the effort with an empty netter. Michal Neuvirth especially rewarded the fans with a superb performance against a Thrashers’ offense without Ilya Kovalchuk for the first game since his trade.

Neuvirth made 43 saves against the Thrashers, including some superb ones:

Here’s another:

But the thing that jumped out the most to me about Neuvirth was that he was allowing no rebounds on shots from the perimeter. He swallowed up every shot from the outside and allowed very few second chances. Neuvirth couldn’t have been any steadier in net.

As far as the Capitals’ offense was concerned, Alex Ovechkin had another incredible goal. In the first period while the Capitals were on a power play, Ovechkin’s stick broke. He went to the Capitals’ bench to get a new stick, and as he was re-entering the offensive zone with his new stick, Nicklas Backstrom feathered a pass for him that was awaiting his arrival into the zone. Ovechkin boomed the puck past Thrashers’ goalie Ondrej Pavalec. Listen to the Thrashers’ color commentator once Ovechkin left the zone — he knows exactly is on the way:

Right after Ovechkin’s goal, my dad text messaged me, “Ovechkin’s most amazing trait is how frequently he’s amazing.”

Right on. But I’ll also mention how terrific Backstrom’s patience with the puck was on this play. Not only did the Thrashers’ color commentator know how the play would end up, Backstrom knew exactly how the play would transpire as soon as Ovechkin left the zone, as well.

Speaking of Backstrom, he didn’t play the third period due to some sort of illness. Obvious speculation is that his migraine headaches flared up again, but whatever the case, Backstrom will be a go for Sunday against Pittsburgh, according to Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post. Brendan Morrison took over the centering duties on the first line in the third period.

The Capitals’ second goal was also a beauty, this one courtesy of the Ovechkin-Backstrom-Mike Knuble trio. Backstrom, on the right wing half wall, cycled to Knuble in the corner, who then cycled to Ovechkin in the left wing corner. Ovechkin then found Backstrom in the high slot with a lot of room to shoot:

The Capitals’ third goal was due to fantastic puck patience by Brooks Laich, who was leading a 2-on-1 charge down the ice with Alexander Semin. Laich, once he got to the top of the circles in the offensive zone, drew the Thrashers’ defender towards him and fed Semin with a pass that Semin had no problem putting away.

The fourth goal of the night was just a rip to the upper right corner of the goal by Jason Chimera from the left wing face-off circle:

I think the gutsy move by George McPhee to trade then-captain Chris Clark will work out handsomely, if it hasn’t already.

The fifth Capitals’ was a nifty backhand from Mike Green into an empty Thrashers’ net all of the way from the defensive goal line.

Some other tidbits on the game…

-Again, kudos to the fans who braved the weather to see their boys play.

-Green logged a team-high 25:17 worth of ice time in his first game back from a three-game suspension. Speaking of Green, I thought that Tom Poti should have been the defenseman on the power play, at least to start the game. Poti was playing out of his mind against the Rangers, especially on the power play. I would have played the hot hand for a little bit longer while Green got his sea legs back. As it was, the Capitals ended up 1-for-5 on the power play.

Full highlights are below: