New Jersey simply doesn’t have the firepower to go toe-to-toe with teams like Washington so they can’t afford to spot PP goals if they want to have a chance.
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Nobody had a better view of it than Devils defenseman John Moore who was nothing more than a traffic cone for Ovechkin on his way to the net.
The Washington Capitals rolled out the red carpet on their 2015-2016 season.
Well, that held true on Saturday night as it felt like 2014-15 all over again with Alexander Ovechkin scoring a highlight real goal in a Caps win against the Devils and Jordin Tootoo taking a regular shift on the power play. Ovechkin has been the league’s top goal scorer for the last three seasons.
Later in the period, Ovechkin helped make it 4-2 when he set up left wing Marcus Johansson’s power-play goal with a ideal pass through the slot after retrieving his own blocked shot.
Orpik, in his second year with the Capitals, played 78 games last season without a goal. “Unfortunately, when the game was on the line, we didn’t respond the right way after that goal”.
Home cooking got started early for the Caps with Jason Chimera getting the honor of the season’s first goal, shorthanded. Ovechkin woke up in the third period to lead the Washington Capitals to victory.
“Willie made a great play”, Orpik said in the dressing room after the Capitals’ 5-3 win. Well, at least they will have things to work on.
Orpik spent most of training camp with injured center Nicklas Backstrom (hip), skating around cones before team practices as he recovered from a July wrist surgery.
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New Jersey, a consensus bottom-two pick in the Metropolitan Division heading into the season, answered right back with an Adam Henrique tally in close – 22 seconds after Orpik’s goal – and a slapshot on the power play from Eric Gelinas to tie it. There was a few worry that another name would be added to the list.Tom Wilson got tangled up with Stempniak in front of the Caps’ net in the second period and fell awkwardly on his back. They overcame a sluggish start and second period to come out strong in the third period to run away with the game.
