Nicklas Backstrom gains retribution, scoring Capitals’ goal after errant penalty

PHILADELPHIA — Nicklas Backstrom sat in the penalty box and stewed over a penalty he did not commit.

At the 4:25 mark of the second period, Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Weber and Philadelphia Flyers right wing Ryan White battled for the puck along the boards in front of the penalty box. As Backstrom and Flyers left wing Chris VandeVelde joined the play, VandeVelde hit Backstrom, and it appeared as if Backstrom’s stick struck White in the face. Backstrom was issued a double-minor for high-sticking, though the replay showed it was actually VandeVelde’s stick that struck White.

Five seconds later, Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen was called for hooking and the sinking feeling in Backstrom’s gut intensified.

“I was pretty shocked because I was sure my stick was down,” Backstrom said. “That’s, first of all, a tough call, but it happens. I was pretty nervous in there.”

All Backstrom could do was watch anxiously, but the Capitals killed the five-on-three advantage. White was called for holding Nisaken’s stick shortly after, which lead to 1:30 of four-on-four. Once Backstrom’s double-minor expired, he went buzzing out of the box. His team had just willed its way through its most difficult stretch of the game and Backstrom set out to ensure it wasn’t a fruitless effort.

Backstrom positioned himself in the right faceoff circle and blasted Marcus Johansson’s one-timer past Flyers goaltender Michal Neuvirth, giving the Capitals a 1-0 lead — all they needed in a Game 6 victory at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon to advance to the second round against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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“The five-on-three today, if we don’t get through that, this building probably explodes,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “We were able to get through that and to me, once we got through that I felt that we were going to find a way to win the hockey game. It was a big difference-maker for us in the series.”

The Capitals’ momentum was building after that penalty kill and it spilled over when left wing Alex Ovechkin muscled his way through the two defenders at the blue line to keep the puck in the zone. He found Johansson to initiate an odd-man rush and Johnasson settled the puck and zipped it to Backstrom.

It was going to have to be a perfect shot to beat Neuvirth, the former Capitals’ goaltender who saved 75 of 76 shots — and the Flyers’ season — in Game 4 and Game 5 after replacing Steve Mason. Backstrom aimed for the top of the net — a place he knew Neuvirth couldn’t defend after sliding over — and unleashed his shot.

“It’s still a one-goal game, but I thought after that goal we got some energy and starting playing a little better, got in our zone, some chances,” said Backstrom, who finished the series with a team-high seven points off two goals and five assists. “It gave us a little boost that’s for sure.”

Washington’s penalty-kill unit entered Sunday’s game with a nearly spotless slate in the playoffs, fending off 20 of 21 power-play opportunities. The only blemish was in Game 4 when Flyers defenseman Shane Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal in Philadelphia’s 2-1 victory.

It wasn’t that the Capitals’ penalty-kill unit, which finished second in the regular season after killing 85.2 percent of power-play opportunities, didn’t expect to succeed in the moment. However, the challenge of the five-on-three on Sunday was of a much different variety. It required two separate tiers of mental resiliency, the first being that it was the result of a penalty Backstrom didn’t even commit.

The second was that it felt as if the game hinged on the Flyers not scoring in that moment after the Capitals squandered their own five-on-three power play at the end of the first period.

“It’s going to happen,” Capitals center Jay Beagle said. “There’s going to be some highs and lows in the game and some calls you’re not sure of, but it doesn’t matter. Whether it goes for you or against you, you’ve got to find a way to get the kill and you live for those moments as a killer. You get that moment and it’s fun. I love killing penalties. It’s never good to take penalties, but you know it’s a job that I’ve loved to do my whole career and no different tonight.”