When Tom Wilson scored his power-play goal in the third period of the Capitals’ 4-1 win over the Islanders Monday night, it was a play that Caps fans of recent vintage have come to know well and appreciate - only this time, it made history. With the primary assist on the goal, Nicklas Backstrom earned the point that pushed him ahead of Peter Bondra for second place on the all-time franchise points list with 826 points.
It was entirely fitting that Backstrom should have been the conductor of this piece in three movements – patiently skating around the far edge of the right wing circle to give himself time to survey the situation and give himself a better passing angle, waiting until a defender changed his stick angle to guard against a pass back to the point, and then snapping a pass through that opening to Tom Wilson in the slot for an open look and a goal.