Grand Night in Calgary
Backstrom and Ovechkin expected to play their thousandth game together on Tuesday night in Calgary, where Caps open three-game trip
The Caps open up a three-game Western Canada road trip and play the front end of a set of back-to-back games on Tuesday night in Calgary when they finish off their season's series with the Flames.
For Washington, Tuesday's game marks a significant milestone in the franchise's history, and in the careers of two of its cornerstone players. Caps captain Alex Ovechkin and alternate captain Nicklas Backstrom will suit up and take the ice together for the 1,000th time as NHL teammates. They'll become just the ninth set of NHL teammates to play a thousand games together.
On opening night of Ovechkin's third NHL season, Backstrom made his NHL debut in an Oct. 5, 2007 game against the Thrashers in Atlanta, two years to the day after Ovechkin's own NHL debut. That game in Atlanta was the first of the dynamic duo's "grand tour" together, and both players recorded an assist in that game. Of the 40 players who suited up for both teams on that night in Atlanta, Ovechkin and Backstrom are the only two who remain active in the League.
Ironically, they'll play their thousandth game together in Calgary against the Flames, a team whose roots are in Atlanta. The Calgary Flames began their NHL life as the expansion Atlanta Flames at the outset of the 1972-73 season, joining the circuit back as the 15th and 16th clubs in the League.
Also ironically, both players are chasing significant personal milestones as they embark upon this trip. Ovechkin has 764 career goals, two behind Jaromir Jagr for third place on the NHL's all-time goals ledger. Backstrom is just three points shy of recording his 1,000th career point and doing so less than a year after skating in his 1,000th game, a milestone he achieved last April 15 in a game against Buffalo at Capital One Arena.
"I remember being in New Jersey when they played 900 together, and it feels like just yesterday," says Caps right wing Tom Wilson, a teammate and frequent linemate of both players for nearly a decade now. "I remember thinking how cool it was that I was playing with them that night, and just being able to take in skating with two of the best players in the world, and two of the best teammates ever to play together. The stuff that they've accomplished is just one of those things that, every once in a while you've just got to stop and take it all in because you realize that it will probably never happen again."
It wasn't until Game 21 of that 2007-08 season that Ovechkin and Backstrom both had a hand in the manufacture of the same goal for the Capitals. In a Nov. 16, 2007 game against the Lightning in Tampa - a week before Backstrom's 20th birthday - Ovechkin scored a first-period goal to give the Caps a 2-1 lead, getting help from Chris Clark and Backstrom.
Exactly a week later in Philadelphia, Ovechkin returned the favor for the first time. He supplied the solo helper on Backstrom's overtime game-winner against the Flyers - the second goal of the silky center's NHL career - a goal that lifted the Caps to a 4-3 win on Black Friday in Bruce Boudreau's Caps and NHL coaching debut, and on Backstrom's 20th birthday. Backstrom had two helpers of his own earlier in the game; it was the first multi-point game of his blossoming NHL career.
Since then, the duo has been piling up goals and points together, and they reached the pinnacle together on June 7, 2018 when Ovechkin joyously hoisted the Stanley Cup over his head and then handed it off to his longtime teammate and linemate.
"As far as my career goes," says Caps right wing T.J. Oshie, "the fact that I've been able to watch these two guys interact on and off the ice together, and to see the type of game that they play together, it's going to be one of the highlights of my career. It's just been really special. A lot of times when you're part of something that's going to be going down in history, and in the Capitals' organization forever, it's really cool to say that I was here to see it in person and be a small, small part of it. It's really cool, and their bond is like no other teammates I've ever seen."
Going into Tuesday's game against the Flames, Backstrom has assisted on 274 of Ovechkin's 764 career goals (35.9 percent), which is more than double the number of any other player. John Carlson is next on the list behind Backstrom with 133 assists (17.4 percent) on Ovechkin goals. Backstrom has also assisted on 117 (41.9 percent) of Ovechkin's NHL record 279 power-play goals.
The partnership has very much been a two-way street; Ovechkin has picked up a helper on 106 of Backstrom's 262 career goals (40.5 percent).
"Long before I got here, they were the duo that you always watched, always focused on and always heard about," says Caps right wing Garnet Hathaway, who was a Caps fan growing up. "Alone, they're special players. Together, you can't even compare anyone to them.
"I'm so happy for them. Obviously, it's difficult to play a thousand games in this League. But to be able to play a thousand with somebody - and I'd say the majority of them on the same line - I'm really happy they get to share that together, because as they've come up together they've helped each other be successful. And they've helped the organization be successful too.
"It's well earned, and it's a time to celebrate, too. Take a second and enjoy it, and I hope they do. And I hope the recognize it for the accomplishment that it is."
The Caps fully expect to have their hands full with Calgary, which is 13-1-1 in its last 15 games. The Flames have also only suffered four regulation losses in 24 home games (15-4-5) this season. Heading into tonight's home game against the Edmonton Oilers, the Flames have poured 20 pucks into opposing nets in their last four games.
"They're physical, they're fast, they go to the net hard, they bring a lot of pucks to the net, and their specialty teams are top-ranked," says Caps coach Peter Laviolette of Calgary. "So it presents a lot of challenges."
Washington's coaching staff is likely to take in tonight's Flames-Oilers tilt up close, from the Saddledome. The game features the Caps' first two opponents on this three-game journey. Washington is in Edmonton on Wednesday to take on the Oilers.
