Nick Jensen (Caps Outsider)
When watching the third period game-winning goal by Nick Jensen, assisted by Garnet Hathaway and Carl Hagelin, it’s hard to tell that these are typical fourth line grinders who are making perfect passes, moving their feet and weaving around the Nashville Predators, and not top-line All Stars. Even before Hathaway’s insane no-look set-up to a streaking Jensen – a defenseman who typically has no business so close to the net – the tic-tac-toe passing play is one that can’t be drawn up any better, assuming it was a set play and not something that just unfolded naturally.
It’s also hard to tell by watching this play that it was Jensen, who has four goals this season, holds the Caps record of going 108 games without a goal.
This line, which includes forward Nic Dowd, typically grinds for its puck possession, with a tough forecheck, hard-hitting, and high energy. Here, they had the chemistry of the Soviet Red Army team.
We all like Alex Ovechkin goals (he scored two typical ones tonight), and we all like great Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom assists, but rarely does a multi-pass play, while 5-on-5, unfold so perfectly. Let’s hope for more of this, as the Caps need scoring up and down the lineup down the stretch.
Tic-Tac-PERFECTION pic.twitter.com/aEnfXxzM0V
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 16, 2022
