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The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Washington (10-4-2), and the seven-goal outpouring was an encouraging sign for a team that had scored just five goals in the previous four games.
“Everybody was committed to just playing the right way,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “We had a little more joy in our game.”
Backstrom led the way with a five-point performance. T.J. Oshie scored two goals and had two assists. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov scored his first goal of the season, and Justin Williams added a power-play goal in the third period. Alex Ovechkin scored, too. Goaltender Braden Holtby nearly got his first shutout of the season, stopping every Pittsburgh shots he saw until Phil Kessel swept a puck in from the crease with 3:32 remaining.
“It mentally was important,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, we play against Stanley Cup champion, and we understand it’s a huge game for us, mentally and point-wise.”
After an overtime loss at Columbus on Tuesday night, the Capitals again bemoaned their scoring woes, a troubling predicament for a team with Washington’s forward depth. Trotz said some players weren’t “committed” to scoring. Frequent line changes hadn’t seemed to spark anything.
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