Winter Classic win latest sign Capitals could be on verge of breakthrough

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- No one will argue that the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t one of the best teams in the National Hockey League.

They were Stanley Cup champions in 2010 and 2013. They’ve totaled more than 100 standings points in three of the past four full regular seasons.

They’re talented and deep and a threat to win another Cup this year. Even after Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals in the Winter Classic, they can brag about a 13-3-1 mark in their past 17 games.

Chicago, as Washington coach Barry Trotz noted, “is the gold standard.”

Three thoughts on the Capitals' clutch Winter Classic win

​So what about the Caps? If Chicago’s history, especially recently, is like classic literature, the Caps' is a comic book. No Cups. One appearance in the final. Scant playoff success. And Washington is coming off a season where it missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006-07.

But in Washington's first year under Trotz, the team's starting to show some positive signs. The Caps have now earned a point in 12 of their past 13 games, and while likely not a Cup contender this season, they are markedly improved.

“We’re not on their level yet,” Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “We’re heading in the right direction. We’ve won some games this year. We’re more conscious of how we want to play, the mentality, the habits. The culture of how we want to do things is headed in the right direction.

“That’s a good sign when you can beat a team like that in a tight game, one where you find a way to win.”

Joel Quenneville, the former Capitals defenseman who now coaches the Blackhawks, has noticed the improvement.

The Scene: 2015 Winter Classic

​“They’ve got four lines, they can keep the pace of their game and they check pretty hard and pretty well. They look like they have got a good balance,” Quenneville said. “They’re big, they’re quick. The puck seems to go forward for them.”

The new Caps-old Caps difference was clearly illustrated by a stretch from the end of the first period and through much of the second.

Up 2-0 after goals by Eric Fehr and Alex Ovechkin, Washington quickly saw how a team with Chicago’s talent can punish you for the slightest mistake.

Seven seconds -- SEVEN -- into a power play, the Blackhawks got a goal from Patrick Sharp late in the first. Early in the second, a John Carlson turnover led to another quick goal, this one from Brandon Saad.

Though they’d played pretty well for the most part, the Capitals were looking at a tied score that figured to soon get worse when a pair of quick penalties gave Chicago a two-man advantage for 1:31 midway through the second.

Old Washington likely gives up one goal and maybe two. New Washington killed the penalties and kept itself in position for Troy Brouwer to score the winner on a power play with 12.9 seconds left.

“You don’t score on five-on-threes, you generally don’t win and that ended up being the result,” Quenneville said.

Said Caps defenseman Karl Alzner, “We managed to fight it off. Awfully big turning point. Just getting out of the second was huge.”

Owner Ted Leonsis wasn’t about to argue. Perhaps no one in D.C. longs for a Stanley Cup as much as Leonsis, who helped build the Caps back to respectability but was frustrated by the wall that seemed to be keeping them from a higher level. They got good, not great. They’d make the playoffs, while a team like Chicago would make them and be a threat.

The NHL Outdoors

Stadium Series 2016

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Since the NHL staged its first Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2008 outdoor games have proved to be extremely popular with fans as well as players. Minnesota got its first on Feb. 21, 2016, a tilt against the Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.

Stadium Series 2016

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A boisterous crowd of 50,246 enjoyed relatively comfortable 36-degree weather and a romp by the hometown Wild.

Stadium Series 2016

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Center Jason Pominville and his linemates Nino Niederreiter and Erik Haula had a big day, combining for three goals and eight points in Minnesota’s 6–1 rout. With a goal and two assists apiece, Pominville and Haula tied the NHL outdoor game scoring record held by seven other players.

Stadium Series 2016

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A tough day for Niklas Hjalmarsson and the rest of the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, who were held at bay by Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk (31 saves), who lost his shutout on a goal by Patrick Kane with 7:55 to go in the third period.

Winter Classic 2016

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In 2016, the traditional New Year's Day event returned to Boston. Fenway Park hosted the Bruins and visiting Philadelphia Flyers in 2010. This time, the site was the more modern Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL's Patriots. The Bruins' foes were their traditional bitter rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

Winter Classic 2016

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There was a surprising warm, communal spirit to the day as nearly 70,000 Bruins and Canadiens fans gathered at Gillette Stadium, tailgating and partying from the early morning until the 1:30 p.m puck drop. The weather was reasonably mild (about 40 degrees) and the ice condition was excellent and fast.

Winter Classic 2016

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Canadiens goalie Mike Condon (left) was the big story of the day. A Massachusetts native, he had the unenviable task of replacing the injured Carey Price while the Habs tried to crack his counterpart, Tuukka Rask in Boston's net. Both teams wore special throwback jerseys for the game.

Winter Classic 2016

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The return of the injured Brendan Gallagher sparked Montreal's offense to an easy 5–1 win. Constant pressure on the Bruins and a goal off a batted puck enabled the Habs to open a 3-0 lead by the end of the second period. Boston drew within 3-1 on a Matt Beleskey tally at 3:36 of the third, but the game was never in doubt.

Winter Classic 2015

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The 2015 edition was awarded to Nationals Park in Washington D.C. with the Capitals hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.

Winter Classic 2015

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A crowd of 42,832 fans filled the park on a brilliant winter afternoon with a game time temperature of an almost balmy 44 degrees.

Winter Classic 2015

Ice conditions were very good. Despite concerns about dangerous sun glare, the game started on time, though the teams switched ends at the 10-minute mark of the first period.

Winter Classic 2015

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After the Blackhawks tied the score at 2-2 in the second period, the game settled into a defensive battle. Winger Troy Brouwer would prove to be the man of the hour.

Winter Classic 2015

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Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin put Washington up 2-0 midway through the first period, but Chicago goalie Corey Crawford settled down and proved tough to beat after that.

Winter Classic 2015

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With 12.9 seconds left in regulation, Troy Brouwer delivered the game-winning goal for the Capitals. The ending was even more special as Brouwer's father, who had been recovering from a stroke, attended the game—the first time he had seen his son play in Washington.

Stadium Series 2015

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Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, in Santa Clara hosted Northern California's first outdoor game, a clash between the local favorite San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 21, 2015.

Stadium Series 2015

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A crowd of 70,205 looked on in 57-degree weather as the puck dropped on a game that had playoff implications for both teams. (Neither would qualify.)

Stadium Series 2015

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Musical entertainment has been a staple at outdoor games. The Kings-Sharks tilt at Levi's Stadium featured former Creedence Clearwater Revival front man John Fogerty (seen here) as well as Melissa Etheridge.

Stadium Series 2015

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The Kings prevailed, 2-1, on goals by Kyle Clifford and Marian Gaborik, who potted the game-winner at the 4:04 mark of the third period.

Stadium Series 2014

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In 2014, the league pulled out all the stops and scheduled six of outdoor games. Four were part of a Stadium Series with one at Soldier Field in Chicago, one at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and two at New York's fabled Yankee Stadium.

Stadium Series 2014

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The game at Soldier Field on March 1 drew a sellout crowd of 62,921 for the hometown Blackhawks' battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The fans didn't seem to mind the heavy snow, swirling wind, and 17-degree cold.

Stadium Series 2014

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Snow accumulated quickly on the ice, turning the Chicago game into a glorified game of pond shinny. But there were no complaints, at least not from Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. "Probably the greatest setting you could want," he later said. "With how hard it was snowing it was like, 'Wow, these are amazing conditions. I think everybody went back to when they were kids." Added Hawks forward Patrick Sharp. "The ice was very good, but that first period it was tough to see and handle the puck. It really felt like a real outdoor game. There were no real systems or structure. We were just kind of hoisting the puck, slapping it around and having fun."

Stadium Series 2014

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For Sidney Crosby (right), his third outdoor appearance wasn't quite as magical as his first (Buffalo, 2008). Playing his first game in Chicago since his rookie season (2005-06), the Penguins' captain was held to a mere three shots by the Blackhawks' defense.

Stadium Series 2014

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Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was the scoring star for Chicago, beating Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for two goals and tacking on an assist in his team's 5-1 win that dropped Pittsburgh's all-time mark to 1-2 outdoors. The Blackhawks are evened theirs to 1-1.

Heritage Classic 2014

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The NHL's third edition of the Heritage Classic, the game that first took the league outdoors in 2003, was held at Vancouver's retractable roofed B.C. Place on March 2. Unfortunately, the weather did not conspire to create a winter wonderland setting. Rain required a closing of the roof, turning the year's final outdoor game into an indoor match.

Heritage Classic 2014

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Commissioner Gary Bettman (center) and league COO John Collins may have pressed the league's luck by scheduling so many outdoor games in one year. Tickets were still available the day of the Heritage Classic and fake snow was used to create the proper atmopshere. There were also some complaints about the ice. "I was glad (organizers) had the option to close [the roof|, because it probably would have ruined the game if it was raining out," Ottawa captain Jason Spezza said. "The ice got bad as it was with it closed."

Heritage Classic 2014

The game between the Ottawa Senators and hometown Canucks was billed as a celebration of some ancient hockey history: the 1915 Stanley Cup championship series between the original Senators and Vancouver's Millionaires. For this occasion, the teams wore throwback uniforms from that time period.

Heritage Classic 2014

After allowing two early goals, Senators goalie Craig Anderson (29 saves) and Ottawa's defense stifled the Canucks the rest of the way. Rookie Cody Ceci eventually put the Sens ahead for good as they rallied for a 4-2 win.

Heritage Classic 2104

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Despite the weather setback, the 54,194 fans on hand enjoyed themselves. Well, given the final score, Senators fans likely had a better time than the hometown faithful, but conditions were certainly more comfortable than they'd been at most of the year's outdoor games. "It was a pretty cool setting, just to have that many people watch the game, and it was loud all game long," said Sens defenseman Cody Ceci. "We were in Vancouver, but there was a lot of Ottawa fans, so it's good to see fans come out all that way."

Stadium Series 2014

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The first game at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 26 had featured an installment of the Hudson River rivalry between the Rangers and New Jersey Devils in daylight. Three frosty nights later, the Islanders arrived to battle the Broadway Blueshirts.

Stadium Series 2014

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With the Big Apple trapped in a week-long Arctic vortex, fans were forced to bundle up against temperatures that started at 22 degrees for the opening puck drop and steadily descended toward zero as the wind chill played its part.

Stadium Series 2014

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Both teams' offenses were cold as the puck danced unpredictably across hard ice pockmarked with holes and cracks, but the Rangers managed to score twice and that was enough to edge their rivals, 2-1.

Stadium Series 2014

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Though the Rangers were officially the visiting team, most of the sell-out crowd of 50,027 was firmly in their corner.

Stadium Series 2014

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Now customary at the NHL's outdoor events, a touch of spectacle was provided by postgame fireworks and an earlier musical performance by Cee Lo Green.

Stadium Series 2014

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Having secured a precious two points, the Rangers headed home to the warmth of Madison Square Garden, where they hosted a rematch against the Islanders two nights later.

Stadium Series 2014

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Yankee Stadium wasn't much warmer for its first NHL game on Jan. 26, which featured some sunshine, but the glare delayed the opening face-off by an hour or so.

Stadium Series 2014

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Though the tilt was held in the Rangers' home city, it was technically a Devils home game. A sellout crowd of 50,105 braved temperatures that dropped below 20 degrees with occasional snow flurries.

Stadium Series 2014

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The entertainment lineup had a distinct New Jersey flavor with Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes on the bill along with the cast of the Broadway musical "Jersey Boys." Radio City Music Hall's famed Rockettes declined to perform due to the cold.

Stadium Series 2014

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Once the puck was dropped, the Devils rushed out to a quick 3-1 lead. Patrik Elias (with puck) scored twice on Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist.

Stadium Series 2014

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It turned out to be an ugly day for Martin Brodeur, who was strafed for six goals on 21 shots as the Rangers roared back for a 7-3 win, doing their part to set an outdoor game scoring record by two teams. The Devils' iconic netminder was pulled for backup Cory Schneider after the second period. Brodeur later complained that the quality of the ice in the rink was the worst he had ever played on.

Stadium Series 2014

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The most exotic locale for an NHL outdoor game to date was surely sunny L.A. and Dodger Stadium, where the Stadium Series opened on January 25 with a game between the Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. Despite climate concerns, this event proved to be a widely hailed success.

Stadium Series 2014

LA's iconic ballpark was transformed into an entertainment palace featuring such distinct California touches as beach volleyball and yoga.

Stadium Series 2014

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What would a game be without a little music? The USC Marching Band was the most unorthodox part of a lineup that included KISS and Five For Fighting.

Stadium Series 2014

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Wayne Gretzky and his family were among the luminaries in attendance. After his landmark trade to the Kings in 1988, the Great One envisioned an outdoor game being played in LA some day. The Dodger Stadium event also marked his public return to the NHL spotlight after a lengthy dispute over pay that he was owed to him from his years as coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Stadium Series 2014

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With game time temperatures in the 60s, the 54,099 fans were considerably more comfortable than their counterparts were at the January 1 Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich., where snow fell throughout the day.

Stadium Series 2014

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Despite temperatures in the 60s, the ice was in pretty good shape for the game in which netminder Jonas Hiller stopped 36 shots as his Ducks shut out the Kings, 3-0.

Winter Classic 2014

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The edition between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings on New Year's Day at 109,901-seat Michigan Stadium was the biggest yet.

Winter Classic 2014

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As part of the Michigan edition of the Winter Classic, Detroit's Comerica Park was set up to host a week-long series of Winter Fest events, including college, OHL and AHL games.

Winter Classic 2014

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A record crowd of 105,491 battled massive traffic jams to sit in 13-degree weather with a zero degree wind chill.

Winter Classic 2014

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The Red Wings, playing in their second Winter Classic, emerged from their dressing room to a winter wonderland of constantly falling snow.

Winter Classic 2014

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Wind and heavy snow made skating and stickhandling difficult. Goals came at a premium, but it was an entertaining match won by the Maple Leafs, 3-2, in a shootout.

Heritage Classic

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Now let's take a look back at the other spectacles the NHL has staged ...

Heritage Classic 2003

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Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton hosted the NHL's first-ever outdoor game, with 57,167 hardy souls braving -20 degree temperatures on November 22. The event was intended to be a one-off.

Heritage Classic 2003

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Where's Taylor? Current Oilers forward Taylor Hall was 12 years old when he attended the game with his dad. They traveled to the event from their home in Calgary.

Heritage Classic 2003

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Wayne Gretzky and Guy Carbonneau were among the Oilers and Canadiens greats who skated in an alumni game. The Great One's squad won, 2-0. Gretzky called the experience "memorable" and Habs Hall of Famer Guy LaFleur told the CBC, "It felt like we were 10 again, but with the legs of 50-year-olds."

Heritage Classic 2003

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Just chillin' in the stands: As if it wasn't cold enough, the wind chill made it feel like it was -28.

Heritage Classic 2003

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In the main game, the Canadiens prevailed over the Oilers, 4-3. Habs forward Richard Zednik (not pictured, that's Patrice Brisebois taking a tumble courtesy of Ryan Smyth) was credited with scoring the NHL's first open-air goal—39 seconds into the second period. It was the first of his two tallies on the night.

Heritage Classic 2003

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Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore, who made 34 saves in the game, sported a toque in an attempt to stay warm.

Heritage Classic 2003

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The evening concluded with a fireworks display, and while the event went over quite well locally, it would be five years before the NHL would venture outdoors again.

Winter Classic 2008

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On New Year's Day, the NHL unveiled the first of its annual Winter Classics, billed as a return to the game's roots on frozen ponds. The matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and hometown Sabres attracted a league-record crowd of 71,217 to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Winter Classic 2008

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It was perfect 33-degree weather for hockey as far as Buffalo's passionate fans were concerned.

Winter Classic 2008

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Snow flurries added a nice atmospheric touch, as did the teams' throwback uniforms.

Winter Classic 2008

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At times, the ice in the specially-constructed rink had to be repaired, which made for some lengthy delays. "The only tough part was snow buildup on the ice," said Sabres winger Jason Pominville. "At times there was a lot of snow, and it made it hard for guys to stickhandle and shoot."

Winter Classic 2008

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As he so often does, Sidney Crosby seized the big, nationally-televised stage and scored the game-winning goal by beating netminder Ryan Miller in a shootout. Final score: 2-1.

Winter Classic 2009

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The second edition of the Winter Classic was held in the cozier confines of a baseball stadium: Wrigley Field. The conversion to hockey required 20,000 gallons of water cooled by a huge refrigeration truck that was parked out on Sheffield Ave.

Winter Classic 2009

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The game between the Detroit Red Wings and the host Blackhawks drew a crowd of 40,818 on a slighly windy, 32-degree day. Fans also jammed the apartment rooftops across the street. Tickets went for as much as $400 apiece.

Winter Classic 2009

The Blackhawks got Wrigley rocking by taking an early 3-1 lead, but couldn't hold it as the Red Wings roared back with five unanswered goals en route to a 6-4 win.

Winter Classic 2009

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The teams wore throwback uniforms and the atmosphere was festive on a Chicago winter's afternoon.

Winter Classic 2009

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"It was amazing—the whole crowd, the whole atmosphere, it was really unreal," Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane said after the game. "It's like it wasn't really happening. But it was really fun to be a part of."

Winter Classic 2010

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The game's retro feel continued with the next edition played at Fenway Park. A sellout crowd of 38,112 enjoyed almost balmy 40-degree weather as the Bruins did battle with the visiting Flyers. The snow and rain that were forecast never materialized.

Winter Classic 2010

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Some fans were able to get close to the players.

Winter Classic 2010

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Flyers goalie Brian Boucher spent the game on the bench watching starter Michael Leighton stretch a shutout streak to 154 minutes 7 seconds before he was beaten by Boston's Mark Recchi with 2:18 to go in the third period. The goal tied the game at 1-1.

Winter Classic 2010

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Bruins coach Claude Julien rocked the Toe Blake look by donning a fedora.

Winter Classic 2010

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The crowd went home happy when Marco Sturm scored at 1:57 of overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win.

Winter Classic 2010

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Fenway's ancient scoreboard told the story.

Winter Classic 2011

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Fears about warm, inclement weather came to pass at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh as rain postponed the start of the Capitals-Penguins game from 1 p.m. ET to 8 p.m.

Winter Classic 2011

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The game offered a marquee matchup of rivals: Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who didn't mind the delay in getting started. "I don't see anything wrong with playing under the lights here," he said. "I think that'd be pretty nice. We should all be enjoying ourselves no matter what the scenario."

Winter Classic 2011

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The game was a wet, sloppy affair with rain frequently creating puddles on the ice.

Winter Classic 2011

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The home crowd didn't have much to cheer about as the Capitals won, 3-1.

Winter Classic 2011

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Despite the elements, the game drew a crowd of 68,111 and a national TV audience of 4.5 million.

Heritage Classic 2011

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Canada welcomed its second Heritage Classic on February 20, a showdown between the Flames and Canadiens in McMahon Stadium.

Heritage Classic 2011

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The Flames entered to a heroes' welcome from the crowd of 41,022. The event also featured an alumni game between members of Calgary's 1989 Stanley Cup championship team and some Montreal notables, as well as AHL and WHL games.

Heritage Classic 2011

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Like its predecessor in 2003, this affair was a freezer, with temperatures hovering around -6F. "The stands were full," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said after the game. "I expected some people to go home. I can't imagine how cold they were."

Heritage Classic 2011

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Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff was sharp, making 21 saves while posting a 4-0 shutout.

Heritage Classic 2011

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Ice conditions proved troublesome at times. The rink had to be flooded with a hose due to fears that the weight of the Zamboni would cause the brittle ice to crack and crumble.

Winter Classic 2012

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Citizens Bank Park hosted the fifth edition, drawing a boisterous crowd of 46,967 for an Atlantic Division rivalry match between the Flyers and New York Rangers.

Winter Classic 2012

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As happened in Pittsburgh, warm weather delayed the start of the game, this time from 1 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. Game time temperatures were a comfortable 41 with occasional snow flurries.

Winter Classic 2012

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Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky got the start over Ilya Bryzgalov, who became a star for his musings on the universe on HBO's "24/7 Road to the Winter Classic" series.

Winter Classic 2012

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Though Rangers coach John Tortorella famously complained about the officiating, he couldn't argue with the outcome: a 3-2 New York victory,

​After last season’s failure, Leonsis and his staff got rid of longtime general manager George McPhee and second-year coach Adam Oates. They immediately snapped up Trotz, who had been let go by Nashville. They opened up the wallets to sign defensemenNiskanen and Brooks Orpik in, both from the Penguins.

Slowly, the pieces have started to fit.

“In the past, if we have a two-goal lead and we lose it, sometimes we would wilt,” Leonsis told a throng of reporters in the Washington Nationals clubhouse that served as the Caps’ Winter Classic headquarters. “And I didn’t see any of that. I didn’t feel any lack of confidence from anyone on the team. I thought we were the better team today, and we deserved the two points.”

Winning the Winter Classic is a far cry from winning in the playoffs or even making the playoffs. It’s one game, worth merely two points in the standings. Even with their recent success, the Caps have just the sixth-best point total in the Eastern Conference, only four points more than 10th-place Florida. They’re third in the Metropolitan Division (the final guaranteed playoff spot), just a point ahead of the Rangers.

A lot can happen between now and April, but the Caps at least don’t appear to be stuck in the mud anymore. While they’re not shopping for real estate in the Blackhawks’ neighborhood just yet, they can maybe start to think about it.

Winter Classic has extra meaning for Capitals' Troy Brouwer

​​“We knew we were going to get the best Chicago Blackhawks team on a national stage like this,” said Fehr, whose goal was his third in an outdoor game, making him the league leader in that odd category.

“Playing against them and to match up with them like we did is obviously a confidence builder. We know they’re probably the best team in the league right now and a team that we want to be like.”

Like his team’s owner, Trotz likes what he sees lately. It’s easy to win when everything is working. Quality teams win when things aren’t going so well.

“When we get off what I call the rails a little bit and we lose our focus, we’re able to get back and find ways to win,” Trotz said. “Today was another case in point. [The Caps] the last couple of years have been able to score quite a bit, but haven’t been able to win close games, haven’t been able to win games when the power play hasn’t been clicking.

“So this whole month has been really a test for us, because our power play hasn’t been good, I would say, and we’re finding ways to win.”