WASHINGTON — The Capitals’ top line accounted for three goals in a four-minute span late in the first period Wednesday, propelling Washington to a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena.
Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson each scored and tallied at least one assist during the sequence, a continuation of the Capitals’ recent offensive resurgence. Washington has now won six of their last seven games, and have scored at least four goals in five of them.
“That line carried us tonight,” head coach Barry Trotz said.
Backstrom struck first, ending a 21-game goal drought with a shot from between the face-off circles, set up by a swift tap pass from Ovechkin, who positioned himself to the left of Blackhawks goalie Anton Forsberg.
Three minutes later, Tom Wilson unleashed a shot from the left side boards that caught the fourth-year goaltender by surprise, allowing the puck to slide under Forsberg’s right leg pad.
On the ensuing shift, defenseman Dmitry Orlov sprung Wilson on a breakaway with a well-timed dump pass. Wilson was turned away by Forsberg, but Ovechkin was there to follow up the shot and rifle it into an empty net.
The Ovechkin-Backstrom-Wilson trio finished with a combined 11 points Wednesday, led by Wilson’s first career four-point-game.
Since Barry Trotz reunited Ovechkin with Backstrom, his longtime center, November 22 against Ottawa, the Capitals’ captain has scored eight goals in seven games. But the combination has also benefitted the continued development of Tom Wilson, who was more than just a passenger on the team’s most potent line.
“Tom adds an element,” Trotz said. “He gets pucks, he keeps plays alive, he makes people move the puck a little quicker. I think it’s energized that line a little bit. So, he’s done a really good job and he’s getting rewarded for some really good work.”
Wilson, more known for his physicality than his offensive skillset, has had to pick up the pace of his play to be able to flank world-class players in Ovechkin and Backstrom.
“I think they’re both working real hard for me, which helps,” Wilson said. “[Ovechkin] is playing with a lot of energy, [Backstrom] is so easy to play with. I’ve found that poise with the puck and they seem to be open and it’s just about making the play.”
“It’s huge for him, huge for us,” Ovechkin said, referencing Wilson. “I think he has to realize how he [has] to play, especially with a center like [Backstrom].”
Wilson, a first-round pick in 2012, had nine points in 24 games entering Wednesday, and has yet to eclipse 25 points in a 82-game season during his career. The coaching staff has said in the past they wanted more offensive production from Wilson, and he has shown marked improvement playing alongside Ovechkin and Backstrom.
“He accepts those challenges that we put in front of him and he keeps growing, so I think he’s one a real good path for some success,” Trotz said.
The Capitals also received goals from Brett Connolly and Evgeny Kuznetsov, with Ovechkin registering the assists on both. With the win, Washington moved into third place in the Metropolitan Division, leaping the idle New York Islanders.
The Capitals third-straight win was punctuated by Wilson’s empty-net goal, which came without his top-tier linemates on the ice.
“He’s making plays,” Trotz said. “He’s getting the puck a lot more, he’s touching it and you can see that his confidence in that area is growing.”