Brouwer is on top line in victory over Blue Jackets For now, results are secondary. It is the time of year for experimentation in the NHL. And that is just fine with Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, who hates losing but loves tinkering with different line combinations.
With trade acquisition Troy Brouwer skating for the first time this NHL preseason in Monday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boudreau was set for a firsthand look at a potential top line with center Nicklas Backstrom and left wing Alex Ovechkin.
Brouwer, who had shoulder surgery over the summer, notched a power-play assist in the first period to help Washington overpower an outmatched Columbus squad 3-1 at Verizon Center. It was the Caps’ first victory in four preseason attempts.
“The young guys played really well for us,” defenseman Dennis Wideman said. “I think we didn’t give them a whole lot, and when we did have a little breakdown in our own zone, [goalie Michal Neuvirth] played really good for us. It was closer to how we want to play, but we still have two or three steps to go yet.
Brouwer’s appearance at first-line right wing wasn’t Boudreau’s only move. He also shifted Alexander Semin back to his natural left-wing position — something rarely seen since Boudreau was named interim coach early in the 2007-08 season. Veteran Mike Knuble, the right wing on that top line the last two seasons, was instead at that position on the second line with second-year center Marcus Johansson.
But the story of the game was the third line of rookie center Cody Eakin and a pair of undersized forwards who have been with the organization for several years yet never cracked the lineup consistently. Chris Bourque seemed a long shot before training camp, but he had three assists, including a pretty pass from behind that net that Eakin buried in the first period.
Mathieu Perreault also played on that third line and contributed, too, with a power-play goal in the second period. Perreault has 56 NHL games under his belt over the past two seasons and is comfortable in Boudreau’s system. He added the secondary assist on Eakin’s goal, winning a puck battle in the corner before Bourque took over.
Bourque himself made the final roster in 2009 but had to go on waivers soon after because of salary-cap issues. He was picked up by the Pittsburgh Penguins before returning to the Caps later that season. That odyssey was frustrating enough that Bourque spent last season in Russia and Switzerland rather than returning to Hershey of the American Hockey League. Now he’s trying to make the most of a second chance in Washington and battling his linemates for an NHL job.
“You can’t control what line you’re going to play with, how much you’re going to play or who you’re playing against,” Bourque said. “The only thing you can control is how you play and giving it your best effort every shift out there. I think that’s what all three of us did tonight.”
