Laviolette 'liked everything about' his top line in Buffalo originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
NHL head coaches often like to play their cards close to the vest, at least with the media. They tend not to get too high after a win or too low after a loss. After Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie dominated the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday in the Capitals' season-opening 6-4 win, however, Peter Laviolette let it be known how happy he was.
"I liked everything about it," Laviolette said of his top line.
Oshie scored a goal and two assists, Backstrom scored one goal and one assist and Ovechkin contributed two assists on the night as the Sabres struggled to contain Washington's top trio.
But the top line's dominance went well beyond just a big night on the box score. They were also able to shut down Buffalo's top line.
Ovechkin, Backstrom and Oshie faced a heavy dose of Taylor Hall, Jack Eichel and Tage Thompson. Washington's top line outscored the opposition 2-1 and recorded a Corsi-For percentage of 65% on the night with 13 total shot attempts while giving up only seven.
"When you're controlling the puck and you're against other team's top players -- that line's a handful that they were playing against -- defensively, I thought they did a good job," Laviolette said. "Offensively, they were able to contribute as well. We were OK with that matchup and it seemed to work out."
