Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau used center Nicklas Backstrom on the team’s second line in practice alongside Alex Semin and Brooks Laich. That’s happened before – usually as a way to get Semin out of a slump – but not often since the midway point of last season. So does this herald a lineup change for Wednesday? And was this a message to Backstrom? The 23-year-old has yet to record a point this season in three games.
“I don’t foresee any changes, but just wanted to play with it in my head,” Boudreau said. “Sometimes it gets some guys out of funks, sometimes it opens up some guys’ eyes ‘Oh, what line am I on today?’ So, just threw that out there.”
Boudreau did this often early in 2009-10. Forward Mike Knuble was new to the team and sometimes floated between the first and second lines. In that case Semin usually jumped up a spot to play with Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. It’s also happened in the playoffs. Two years ago in postseason series against the Penguins and Rangers, Backstrom just about split his time between the first and second lines.
Boudreau later added: “I don’t know if I’ll do it tomorrow [against the New York Islanders]. But it was looking okay today.”
That doesn’t exactly give us much to go on heading into the game vs. New York. But Boudreau wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t at least thinking about starting Backstrom on the second line and using Tomas Fleischman next to Ovechkin and Knuble. As for Backstrom, he seemed unsure exactly what to make of the change. Then again – he didn’t seem all that concerned, either.
“No, that’s something [Boudreau] does,” Backstrom said. “I think everybody can pretty much play with everybody so that’s a good thing. We know each other.”
Follow me on Twitter @bmcnally14
