The Dale Hunter era in Washington has gotten off to an interesting start.
Nicklas Backstrom's goal midway through the first period gave the Washington Capitals an early lead, but T.J. Oshie's rebound goal brought the St. Louis Blues back to a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes.
With just one shot goal midway through the first period, Backstrom made the second shot count with his eighth goal of the season at 10:15. Alex Ovechkin took a pass from Tomas Vokoun at the left faceoff circle and carried the puck end to end, cutting across to the right side in the offensive zone. Ovechkin then sent a centering pass to Backstrom in the slot and his chip shot bounced through Jaroslav Halak's pads.
Oshie tied the game at 15:48 when Alexander Steen's shot from the high slot hit the post and dropped straight down. With Vokoun out of position, Oshie had an open net to put the rebound in for his seventh goal of the season.
The Blues dominated the flow of play as the Caps got acclimated with their new coach's style, which preaches defensive responsibility and establishing the forecheck. St. Louis outshot Washington 9-5.