Their strength had become one of their biggest weaknesses.
After wrapping up their third consecutive season with league’s most lethal power play, the Washington Capitals writhed through the playoffs last spring, unable to siphon a goal from their offensive reservoir.
They went just 3-for-28 with the man advantage during 14 playoff games, a marked difference from their 25.3 percent regular-season conversion rate. They scored two goals in the first-round series against the New York Islanders and a number of 0-for-3 performances peppered the scoresheets.
With a pair of goals in the 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, the Capitals have already equaled their power-play output from a year ago. They enter Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, which shifts to Philadelphia on Monday, understanding what can happen when such opportunities aren’t seized.
“It’s just one of those things that we want to go on the ice and try to make a difference,” said defenseman John Carlson, who scored a power-play goal in the first period on Saturday after contributing one on the second period on Thursday. “Whether we score or not, obviously, we’re trying to every time, but we know that it’s not possible. If we can just bring any momentum or make us feel a little bit better about or game or give us that extra jump, sometimes, that’s almost as good as a goal.”
Washington didn’t score a power-play goal in its final five regular-season games, failing on all 12 opportunities. It finished with a 21.9 percent success rate this season, good for fifth in the league — its lowest output since 2011-12, when it was a pedestrian 17th.
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Barry Trotz said that after the disappointments of last postseason, when the Capitals were knocked out in the second round, he and his coaching staff set out to infuse the power-play unit with additional options.
Too much of its success had relied upon Alex Ovechkin’s lethal one-timer from the left faceoff circle; last year, 25 of 60, or 41.6 percent, of Washington’s power-play goals were scored by Ovechkin, the highest single-season mark of the star left wing’s 10-year career.
Center Nicklas Backstrom, who coordinates the top power-play unit from his post along the right half-wall, was encouraged to shoot more frequently when lanes were open. So, too, was Carlson, who scored a pair of power-play goals despite missing 25 games with an ankle injury and, accordingly, alternating the responsibility of manning the point.
On Saturday, Carlson scored game’s opening goal 14:09 into the first period, benefiting from his own patience. Once he recovered the puck from Backstrom in the deep slot, he recognized Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz, marking Ovechkin, was without a stick. As Chris VandeVelde reached over to give his to Schultz, goaltender Steve Mason leaned that way to try to see past screens from T.J. Oshie and Marcus Johansson, causing Carlson to shoot down the opposite side and into the net.
The goal reminiscent of the one Carlson scored in the playoff opener, when, from the same area of the ice, he ripped a wrister that knuckled off VandeVelde on its way to the back of the net.
“The top guy was leaning and we had two guys underneath in layers at the net, so I mean, I wasn’t not shooting to score, but it was two-on-oh in front of the net,” Carlson said, referring to Saturday’s goal. “If the puck drops down or hits off one of them, they’re standing there with good looks at the cage.”
Washington’s second goal, scored by Ovechkin at 17:21 of the second period, was, in a sense, more traditional. Johansson led the Capitals’ zone entry by skating down the right wall, and, upon reaching the corner, he sent the puck to Backstrom, standing at the goal line along the wall.
Backstrom, recognizing all four Philadelphia skaters were cheating to the corner, caught a glimpse of Ovechkin streaking down the far side, and his pass, which sailed between Oshie’s legs, was off Ovechkin’s stick and into the net before defenseman Radko Gudas could recover.
“We just use what they give us,” said Ovechkin, who scored his 37th goal, and 11th on the power, play, in 74 career playoff games. “Hope it’s gonna be the same in the future and we’re gonna do our best.”
Ovechkin, who scored 50 goals to reach that mark for the seventh time in his career, scored only 19 power-play goals this season — his lowest percentage since 2011-12, though it still served as the most scored by one player in the league. Oshie was second with 11 power-play goals, whereas Johansson scored six and Evgeny Kuznetsov finished with five.
With 16 penalties called during Game 1 on Thursday — five were assessed after it had ended — and 10 handed down on Saturday, the Capitals have thus far recognized the importance of snagging such opportunities.
“We’ve got some very talented guys on our power play, as Philly does, and the adjustments that we’ve made in ours have ended up in the back of their net,” Trotz said. “It’s been a little bit of a difference for us.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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