Consistent Reliability

Soon after the Capitals beat the Canadiens 6-1 in their home opener, T.J. Oshie retreated to the dressing room and shared congratulatory fist bumps with Nicklas Backstrom for a job well done.
At the same time, Alex Ovechkin, Braden Holtby and Nathan Walker were each saluted with a final curtain call as the game's three stars. On a night when Ovechkin tied his career-high with four goals, Walker scored in his NHL debut and Holtby made 38 saves, it was easy to overlook another sound performance from Backstrom. Oshie, though, was plenty aware of Backstrom's solid night at the office.

"He's been doing it all year," Oshie says. "Maybe it's hard to notice, but in this room, we know what he does and how much he means to our success."
Although Backstrom chipped in with two assists in the home opener, his coaches and teammates showered him with praise primarily for his handling, and limiting, Montreal's No.1 center Jonathan Drouin and the Canadiens' top line.

It is theme that has continued throughout the season, with Backstrom and Oshie constantly being matched up against other teams' top players and frequently beginning their shifts with defensive-zone faceoffs.
"It's a great challenge," says Backstrom, who was also tasked with shutting down Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Toronto's Auston Matthews early this season.
"Usually we get to know [the matchups] in the mornings, so we got some time to prepare. We take that as a challenge for us."
It's a challenge both Backstrom and Oshie welcome.

"Playing against top lines with that caliber of players," Oshie says, "they're going to get their chances, but you take pride in limiting their chances and it's almost a game within the game."
Backstrom has embraced the defensive side of the game throughout his career, but is quick to point out that it shouldn't come at the expense of his offensive contributions.
There is no reason, Backstrom says, why he shouldn't excel at both ends of the ice, while matched up against the opposition's top players.
"Hopefully it gives us a chance to win," he says. "That's priority No. 1. But if it's 0-0, we're still kind of mad as a line. We want to win that match. It would be nice if we could score against them."

The days of the traditional third-line defensive-checking centermen shadowing other teams' top players may be numbered. In recent years, NHL teams have placed greater emphasis on developing three scoring lines with well-rounded skilled players who can play both ends of the ice.
"I think the game is going more towards the top players playing against top players," says coach Barry Trotz. "There are a couple of guys around the league that have taken on that [defensive] role but they're still pretty good offensive players."
Trotz references 20-goal scorers like Ryan Kessler in Anaheim and Nazem Kadri in Toronto as examples of skilled players who have excelled in the shutdown role. The same goes for Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Toews- top-line centers who have all won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the League's top defensive forward.
"You're seeing more of that," Trotz says of elite two-way forwards. "I think we're seeing less of the old Don Luce, Craig Ramsey, Brent Peterson [shutdown] lines. We're seeing more of the power against power than we have in the past."
And with Backstrom at their disposal that suits the Capitals just fine.

Trotz has described Backstrom as the best two-way player in the league and he has spent the past four seasons clamoring for Backstrom to earn more Selke Trophy consideration.
"I'll keep banging that drum until it happens," Trotz says. "It's astonishing, really, that he doesn't garner more attention for that."
Now in his 11th NHL season, Backstrom has never finished higher than 7th in Selke voting or 9th in voting for the Hart Trophy as League MVP. Still, those around the Capitals will make the case that Backstrom may be the most important and well-rounded piece on their roster.
"He's such a smart player, a heady player," says Matt Niskanen, "that he can anticipate things happening on the ice where it seems like he's always in the right spot."
Trotz admits that he wasn't fully aware of Backstrom's defensive acumen until he arrived in Washington in 2014. But, he says, he quickly discovered three traits that add to Backstrom's complete game.
"One is that he's quietly extremely competitive," Trotz says. "Two is that he's extremely smart. He understands the game within the game. For me, he's a responsible player on both sides of the puck and he makes good decisions. So, those three things go hand in hand for me- he's very competitive, he's very smart and he makes really good decisions. That's why you can play Nicky against anybody in the league."

Playing well defensively has long been a priority for Backstrom, who was also a key cog on Washington's penalty kill during his 100-point campaign in 2009-10. But now with more than 10 years of NHL experience, Backstrom has been able to take advantage of his natural abilities with a better understanding of where to be in certain situations.
"I got taught when I was a kid, to play good defensively because that leads to offense," he says. "That's been my mindset. But obviously you learn stuff on the way there. I think you learn about positioning. That's the biggest thing: positioning in the D-zone and how things work. That was a big adjustment for me when I came from Europe. I feel like I've learned that."
Backstrom has also been described as one of the sharpest players when it comes to anticipation and hockey I.Q. - skills which also allow him to excel defensively.
"So much of defensive ability as a forward has to do with being in the right position and being an option for everyone on the ice," says Braden Holtby, "and he's so smart that he's always finding that open area. He's finding the spot where if there's a turnover, he's right on the guy."

Through the first quarter of this season (21 games), Backstrom ranks second among the Capitals with at least 10 games played in shot attempt percentage at five-on-five (54.12 percent) and second among Capitals' forwards in defensive zone starts at the face-off (52.76 percent). Additionally, Backstrom is second among Capitals forwards in goals-for percentage (64.71 percent), with 11 goals for and six against.
"A lot of playing defense is about not giving the other teams free ones," says Niskanen, "so puck management is a good way to defend and he's outstanding at that. He avoids a lot of tough situations because he's so smart with the puck. He's underrated how strong he is on his skates and he's got good stick skills. He's really crafty at stealing pucks and coming out of the corner, out of a pile with the puck. He's a pretty well-rounded player. It's something I didn't realize or truly appreciate until I got here."