When Washington Capitals defenseman Nate Schmidt took to the ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday night, it had been 363 days since he last scored a goal.
But you wouldn’t know it when he wound up for a shot in the second period. Schmidt initially maintained his position near the blue line, but as four Blue Jackets closed in on forwards T.J. Oshie and Alexander Ovechkin, the puck found its way to Ovechkin’s stick.
With a clear lane, Ovechkin gave the puck to Schmidt, who stepped into the space for a shot. His first attempt was blocked by Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, but Schmidt made no mistake with his second opportunity, placing the puck on a wrist shot right above Bobrovsky’s left shoulder for the Capitals’ third goal of the game.