NHL Playoffs: 4 Key Takeaways for the Washington Capitals After Their Game 2 Win

The importance of the Washington Capitals stirring 2-1 double overtime victory over the Boston Bruins yesterday cannot be overstated.

With the flick of his wrist, Nicklas Backstrom changed the dynamics of a series that, by all measures, now looks like it will be a long one between the defending champions and the team many thought would have a championship by now.

Instead of being down two games to none, the Caps now find themselves heading home with momentum, confidence and a chance to push the Bruins to the brink of elimination—if the Caps can hold onto home ice that is.

As the scene now shifts to the Nation's Capital, and the series enters a very critical stage, there are several things Capitals fans can take away from the Game 2 win.

What have we learned after two games?

Let's take a look.

1. Braden Holtby Is for Real

Any lingering doubts or questions about the Caps rookie net-minder may have been eliminated after his Game 2 performance.

As great as Braden Holtby was in Game 1, he was even better in Game 2. It is actually hard to find the superlatives to bestow upon Holtby for his performance in Game 2.

Holtby stopped 43 of 44 shots in Game 2 for a .977 save percentage.

But those numbers only tell part of the story. It was how Holtby played, with the game—maybe even the season—on the line that speaks volumes about the poise, toughness and will to win of the Caps rookie goalie.

He stood tall against anything and everything the Bruins could throw at him. He actually seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, even though the pressure must have been weighing down on him as though he were a deep sea diver in a deep, dark, trench.

Even on Benoit Pouliot's goal, Holtby went all-in, desperately trying to poke the puck away from Pouliot in a supreme effort to prevent the Bruins lone goal. Holtby failed, but certainly not for lack of trying.

When this series began, the biggest question for the Capitals was their situation in goal.

After Game 2, consider that question answered.

2. The Capitals Are Not Allowing the Bruins to Play Their Style of Game

After the Bruins Game 2 loss, ESPN's Boston channel ran an article on how the Bruins were getting pushed around by the Capitals.

I have watched both games closely. They have both been tremendously physical battles. I do not think it is quite accurate to say the B's are being "pushed around" by the Caps.

It is very accurate, however, to note that the Caps surprising physicality has taken the Bruins out of their comfort zone.

The Bruins like to throw wave after wave of big, talented and imposing players at the opposition—and it is usually more than the opponent can bear.

But, the Caps, considered to be a finesse team by many, have apparently been influenced by Dale Hunter more than we knew. The Caps are, shockingly, winning the physical battles with the Bruins.

And the Bruins know it.

"We need more," said forward Benoit Pouliot, who scored the Bruins' lone goal. "We've got some of the biggest guys in the league on our team, and we're a big team. Any goalie who's got traffic in front of him, it's always tough to stop the puck, so we've just got to do that the next couple of games."

Whether the Capitals allow that to happen, however, is another story. So far, the Caps will seems to have the advantage over the Bruins skill.

The Caps have been  more physical than the B's and this, more than anything, has helped to eliminate the big depth advantage most everyone figured the Bruins would enjoy in this series.

And, it really seems that the Caps are more hungry than the Bruins as they are winning the little battles that matter and can turn a game, or a series, in one direction or the other.

Backstrom's game winner is a great example as Marcus Johansson's effort to get to the puck, despite the Bruins winning the faceoff, was all about his will to win.

So far, the Capitals have not allowed the Bruins to play their style of game. If that continues, the Caps have a great shot at winning this series.

3. Nicklas Backstrom Came to Play

How important has Nicklas Backstrom's return been to the Capitals?

They have been a different team since Backstrom's return from a concussion in the waning days of the regular season. In fact, one could argue that Backstrom's timely return led to the season ending surge that helped the Caps qualify for the playoffs in the first place.

Now, Backstrom has historically been inconsistent in the playoffs, and has been more prone to be a disappointment with the season on the line than a success.

Through two games of this series, however, it sure looks like Backstrom has come to play.

Not known for being the most physical player on the Capitals, Backstrom was quite physical in Game 2. Perhaps it is a case of osmosis from the rest of the Caps being much more physical than expected.

Whatever the situation, when Backstrom got drilled in the face by Tim Thomas near the end of regulation and did not back down an inch, you knew this year's version of Backstrom might be different.

When he netted the game winner in double overtime, you knew something else.

Backstrom has not just come to play in this series—he has come to win.

4. The Capitals Can Win This Series

Before the playoffs began, I did an article entitled "6 Ways The Washington Capitals Can Beat The Boston Bruins."

After two games, the Capitals have come through on many of the things I felt they needed to do to beat the Bruins.

Control the tempo? Check. The Caps, as mentioned earlier, have slowed the Bruins to a crawl and their physical game-play has surprised the Bruins and kept them off-balance.

The top line coming up big? So-so, thus far. Troy Brouwer did get the first goal of the series for the Caps though, and there is no denying that Alex Ovechkin's impact is being felt every time he delivers another bone-crunching check on a Bruins player.

Having Semin, Backstrom, and Green show up? Well, there is no question Backstrom has shown up. Mike Green is playing the best defense I have ever seen him play in the playoffs so far. Semin has yet to show up, but if he does, the Bruins will have a big problem on their hands.

An unlikely hero stepping forward? Not so much, although Johansson's fantastic effort on Backstrom's game winner yesterday did not go unnoticed.

Braden Holtby has given the Caps much more than a chance to win—he is the reason this series is tied at one game apiece.

Steal one in Boston? That's a resounding check.

What is evident after two games, however—and what I did not account for in my earlier preview—is that this year's Capitals have heart and toughness that has been missing in previous seasons.

This one intangible has been blamed as the major reason the Caps have been such dismal failures in the playoffs during the Ovechkin era.

This year though, they are playing tough, they are playing determined, and they are playing without fear. They could have folded after Pouliot's game tying goal yesterday, but they hung tough and eventually prevailed.

They are playing like their coach, Dale Hunter, used to play the game. Sure, it sometimes got Hunter into trouble, and he was accused of being a cheap shot artist on more than one occasion. But, no one ever questioned his heart or his toughness.

Now, the Capitals have adopted the persona of their coach and it is paying dividends against a very tough opponent.

If it continues, the Capitals can beat the Bruins and, perhaps, accomplish even greater things in the playoffs.