Capitals' Nicklas Backstrom: Finishing season strong

Backstrom scored on the power play and added a pair of even-strength assists to go with a plus-3 rating in Thursday's 7-3 triumph over the Islanders.

Backstrom reached the 18-goal mark for the fifth consecutive campaign, with a third of those coming on the power play. His 36 helpers in 69 appearances are disappointing by the Swedish center's lofty standards, but he's doing his best to finish strong with five points and a plus-4 rating over his last three games. This productive stretch comes on the heels of a rough patch that saw Backstrom post just four points and a minus-6 rating over a 10-game span.