Kukla's Korner Hockey
Nicklas Backstrom The ‘Under the Radar’ NHL Super Star
by Paul on 02/20/15 at 10:57 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Alex Prewitt of Capitals Insider,
Watch the little plays, defenseman Karl Alzner explained, the kind that get swallowed by the larger context of games, but still stick out to those awestruck Washington Capitals watching from the bench. Watch how center Nicklas Backstorm breaks out on the power play. Or squeezes through traffic along the wall and continues forward, in full stride. Remember the one from Pittsburgh? No, not the game-winning assist to Joel Ward. Something far less memorable.
“See, that’s the thing,” Alzner said. “No one realizes it. He picked up the puck, quick dangled through someone, held the puck off, then just sauced right through the middle of the ice. It’s just plays like that, that, as players, you understand how hard they are. I can’t do it in practice, and he does it in games.”
The admiration inside the Capitals’ locker room for their alternate captain holds no limits, and Thursday night offered another chance for the respect to flow. On one end stood Backstrom, now tied for the NHL’s lead with 63 points, apologizing to reporters for taking too long to remove his shin guards and claiming such scoring was merely essential to the gig. After all, Backstrom said, he receives “a lot of ice time too, so I should produce for the team. Just doing my job.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: nicklas+backstrom
Comments
Be the first to comment.
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Most Recent Blog Posts
Thoughts Are With Borje Salming Today
Max Pacioretty Will Have Surgery For A Torn Achilles
Jacob Trouba Named Captain Of The New York Rangers
David Krejci Back With The Bruins
A Five-Year Deal For Lawson Crouse In Arizona
Patrice Bergeron Returning For Another Season
About Kukla's Korner Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at pk@kuklaskorner.com