Field Level Media
29 Jan 2022, 10:35 GMT+10
Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and two assists and Vitek Vanecek made 29 saves as the Washington Capitals recorded a 5-0 shutout of the host Dallas Stars on Friday night.
Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist, and Evgeny Kuznetsov contributed two assists for Washington. Tom Wilson, John Carlson, and Trevor van Riemsdyk scored the Capitals' other goals.
Entering Friday's action on a two-game losing streak, the Capitals rebounded by matching their largest margin of victory of the season.
Vanecek held Dallas scoreless to earn his 10th victory of the season. He has two shutouts over his last six outings.
Backstrom has missed much of the season due to a hip injury, COVID-19 protocol, and a non-COVID illness, but the forward has been making up for lost time. Backstrom has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 12 games played this season.
The loss snapped the Stars' four-game winning streak, as Dallas was shut out for the second time this season. Joe Pavelski seemed to open the scoring just 42 seconds into the game, but the Stars forward's goal was erased on video review due to an offsides call earlier in the play.
With that apparent early Dallas lead overturned, the Capitals proceeded to dominate the first period, scoring three goals on 19 shots.
The Capitals entered the game with the league's third-worst power-play percentage (13.85 percent), yet both Wilson and Carlson scored on power-play chances within the first eight minutes. Washington was 0-for-16 with the extra attacker over its previous five games.
The revived Washington power play came at the expense of the struggling Dallas penalty-kill unit. The Stars have allowed at least one power-play goal in 14 of their last 16 games, and during those 16 games have killed off only 30 of 47 opponents' chances with the man advantage.
Dallas starting goalie Braden Holtby didn't receive much help from his defense in allowing five goals on 27 shots in two periods of work. A veteran of 10 seasons with the Capitals, Holtby was facing his former team for the first time.
Jake Oettinger stopped two shots after replacing Holtby during the second intermission.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Dallas Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Dallas Sun.
More InformationEVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...