WASHINGTON — Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson each made his season debut for the Washington Capitals in a 1-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Capital One Arena on Sunday.
“It meant the world,” Backstrom said. “Obviously, I missed this, and not knowing what my future was going to hold, just coming back and playing was great.”
Backstrom, who had surgery to resurface his left hip on June 17, finished with one shot, three hits and one block in 14:03 of ice time. Wilson, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee on May 24, had one shot and six hits in 14:10 of ice time.
“I thought it was great to have them back out there,” Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. “That is a lot, jumping into that game. I thought they did fine. Every day from today as they move forward, they will get more confident and just feel better about it. I’m sure they are both glad to have it behind them and in the rearview mirror.”
Darcy Kuemper made 38 saves for his fourth shutout of the season, and third in his past 10 starts, for the Capitals (23-14-6), who are 13-2-2 in their past 17 games and won for the first time this season. when scoring fewer than three goals.
“Good teams can find a way in a lot of different ways, and tonight was one of them,” Kuemper said. “As the season goes along, things get a little bit tighter, so it’s nice to be able to get the ones like tonight.”
Video: CBJ@WSH: Kuemper backstops Caps with 38-save effort
Elvis Merzlikins made 18 saves for the Blue Jackets (12-25-2), who have lost nine of their past 11 games and were playing the second of a back to back following a 4-3 shootout win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
“Back-to-back nights against two really good teams and putting that effort back-to-back nights, the battle level, the compete, and even the execution aspect, it felt like it was all clicking,” Columbus defenseman Andrew Peeke said. “It makes the game more fun, and that’s how we have to play the rest of the year in order to improve as a hockey team.”
Erik Gustafsson scored at 2:43 of the first period to make it 1-0. His pass attempt from the left face-off circle to Garnet Hathaway in front deflected off the skate of Blue Jackets defenseman Tim Berni and between Merzlikins’ pads.
Video: CBJ@WSH: Gustafsson’s shot deflects in off defender
Merzilikins kept it a one-goal game at 8:34, stopping Martin Fehervary‘s tap in off a backdoor pass from Dylan Strome.
“He comes across and makes a split save to keep it at one. I think that settled him down and allowed us to get our feet under us,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “[Then] probably one of our best second periods of the year. We didn’t give them much in the second and it carried over into the third.”
Columbus outshot Washington 26-11 over the final two periods. However, Kuemper made 14 saves in the third to preserve the win, including stopping Patrik Laine on a 2-on-1 with 3:42 remaining, then again on a slap shot from the left circle at 19:19.
NOTES: Kuemper is 7-0-3 in his past 11 starts and hasn’t lost in regulation since Nov. 19. … Capitals center Nic Dowd had an assist and has four points (two goals, two assists) in his past four games. … Washington forward Anthony Mantha was a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
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