Good things can come to those who wait.
Despite a 4-2, regular season-ending loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon, the Washington Capitals managed to sew up home-ice advantage through at least the first round of the playoffs on Saturday night, with the New York Islanders bowing to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-4, in a shootout.
That means the Capitals finished No. 2 in the Metropolitan Division, allowing them to host the first two games of the best-of-seven series at Verizon Center beginning on Wednesday.
The game between the Islanders and Blue Jackets was tied after two periods before New York took a two-goal lead at 3:47 of the third. That margin evaporated midway through the period when Columbus scored twice within two minutes, but New York claimed the lead again with less than five minutes remaining before the Blue Jackets tied it with 1:35 to play in regulation.
“It’s disappointing,” Islanders center John Tavares told reporters after the game. “We had the opportunity in front of us, but didn’t capitalize. You just have to get over it. It’s a new season now. We’re playing some more hockey and we’re looking forward to our fans being behind us.”
The Capitals and Islanders split the four games they played this season, with Washington winning at home on Nov. 28 and Feb. 21, the latter in a shootout, while the Islanders picked up overtime victories on Nov. 26 and Dec. 29.
Tavares, who finished the season with 38 goals and 48 assists for 86 points, one off the league lead, had two goals and three assists in the four games against the Capitals this season. His linemate, right wing Kyle Okposo, had 18 goals and 33 assists on the season, but had just two assists in three games against Washington.
“The strength of their team is their forward group, probably, led by Tavares, who’s having an MVP-like season,” Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “He’s probably going to be a candidate [for the Hart Trophy]. They make a lot of quick plays around the net and they’ve got a bunch of younger guys that can really skate. They get up and down the rink well.”
One of the Islanders’ strengths is on defense — an area they spent money to fortify after they missed out on the playoffs a year ago. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk, their top pairing, each signed seven-year contract extensions for a combined $80.5 million, with the two players choosing to stick around after being traded to the team just before the season began.
Their acquisitions paralleled those of the Capitals, who spent the bulk of their available money during the free agent signing period last summer by inking Niskanen and Brooks Orpik to long-term contracts.
“I’m biased, obviously, but I always think that playing defensive hockey is the most important thing,” Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. “If you can get guys that are good at stopping the big boys on the other team and getting the puck out and obviously squashing things pretty early — rushes and chances in front of the net — it’ll help the team. We’ve done that a lot this year, and playing against them, they’re great puck-moving guys, a lot of great players. I don’t know how they’ll be able to keep them all eventually, but I think it’s a foundation. You kind of start from the back end out, and we have similar teams now, so it should be fun.”
When it appeared likely Saturday afternoon that the Capitals would begin their postseason journey away from home, several players downplayed the significance of holding any measure of home-ice advantage, deferring to their road record as a reason why they thought the team could succeed outside of Verizon Center.
Indeed, the Capitals finished the regular season 22-13-6 away from home — a mark that held up as the third-best road record in the Eastern Conference, behind only the Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens.
Coach Barry Trotz suggested that, in some ways, it may have been more advantageous for the Capitals to begin away from home. Home-ice advantage really only matters if the series extends to all seven games — which, given Washington’s recent playoff history, seems inevitable — and the time on the road to begin the series could allow players to focus only on the task at hand and not get wound up in any other distractions.
Of course, Nassau Coliseum has once again become a difficult place to play — an awakening for a 43-year-old arena that has contained its share of excitement. While playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins two seasons ago, Niskanen faced the Islanders in a first-round series.
“It was the loudest and best atmosphere he’s ever seen playing a game,” Alzner said. “That’s what we like. It doesn’t matter if it’s a home game or a road game. We like a good atmosphere, and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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