Washington DC-Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau shuffled his lineup tonight in the first period against the New York Islanders, putting Tomas Fleischmann on the first line and moving Nicklas Backstrom down to the second line with Alex Semin and Brooks Laich.
So far the experiment isn't working as the Capitals have managed just five first period shots as they trail New York 1-0 after one.
The Islanders struck first just 3:14 into the game on a Nino Niederreiter goal. Niederreiter, the Islanders first-round draft pick this year, received a pass from behind the net from veteran center Doug Weight to beat goaltender Michal Neuvirth and give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.
Washington's performance has been sloppy to say the least. They have struggled to control the puck and set up good scoring chances. They are also 0-1 on the powerplay, making them 1-14 on the season. However, their penalty-killing unit remains perfect on the year as they stymied the Islanders' only powerplay in the first period.
In his debut for the Capitals, forward DJ King laid a big hit along the endboards during his first shift. Islanders forward Trevor Gillies retaliated, dropping the gloves with King. King was acquired by the Caps over the offseason in an effort to toughen up roster hell-bent on finesse and he quickly proved he will earn his paycheck as the Capitals enforcer.