Photo credit: Nick Wass

One by one, the Capitals’ stars are getting on the board. First it was John Erskine, who fired a “muffin” into the twine on Sunday. A period later, it was Alex Ovechkin‘s turn when he unleashed a one-timer for a game-winning goal. Tonight, it was Nicklas Backstrom, who roofed a backhander past Ilya Bryzgalov late in the second period Friday night.

Nicky’s first tally of the season came when John Carlson, the author of a rough season so far, poke-checked the puck away from Sean Couturier as the Philadelphia center entered the offensive zone. Carlson — and his more importantly his glorious hair — then fired a pass up ice to Backstrom, who was waiting at center ice. With the Flyers in the middle of a line change, Nicky was in all alone. Forehand. Backhand. Touchdown.

“I pretty much only have one move — and that was it,” the Swedish forward, who also registered his fifth of the year, told reporters after the game. “Now everybody knows that too.”

“With Nicky’s goal, I’m not going to get too excited because you’re not going to get a full blown 3-on-0 very often,” Troy Brouwer, Backstrom’s linemate, said with a laugh. “I don’t know what happened there, but I’ll take it.”

Headline pun credit: Ted Starkey