WASHINGTON — The video lasted nearly three minutes, with images and recorded messages celebrating Justin Williams’ 1,000th career NHL game.
As the tribute played on the Verizon Center scoreboard before Sunday’s regular-season finale, one shot in particular caught the eye of Capitals forward Tom Wilson.
“When you see him winning [the Stanley Cup] with the huge beard and his sigh of relief after it all, those are the cool moments,” Wilson said Wednesday.
“When you see a teammate that’s done it like that, it makes everyone want to get there and enjoy it with him again.”
The Capitals’ journey to the Stanley Cup Finals begins in earnest Thursday with Game 1 of their first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers [7 p.m., CSN].
With the Capitals looking to finally break through and earn the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history, past champions Williams and Mike Richards could play pivotal roles on a potentially deep playoff run.
Richards (129 career playoffs games) and Williams (115 games) have the most playoff experience on either roster in the Capitals-Flyers series and both have collected plenty of postseason hardware. Williams won the 2014 Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, while Richards is a two-time Cup champion.
“I’m excited to see him play in the playoffs,” forward Jason Chimera said of Richards. “He’s one of those guys that gets it done. He always brings out the physicality. Guys like him and (Williams), it always seems like the bigger the game, the bigger they play. It’s a different dynamic for sure.”
Williams was a fixture on Washington’s second line this season, finishing with 22 goals and 52 points in 82 games. The 34-year-old was a welcome addition for the Presidents’ Trophy winners, but the Capitals had the playoffs in mind when they signed Williams to a two-year, $6.5 million deal last July.
Williams, who has earned the nickname “Mr. Game 7,” is a perfect 7-0 in career Game 7s with an NHL-record seven goals and 14 points in those decisive games. He arrived in D.C. last fall with “instant street credibility” according to head coach Barry Trotz.
“When you check the boxes, you want quality people to add to your organization, you want to find someone who was a winner, you’re looking for someone that had playoff success, and you’re looking for a guy who is still productive and in your price range,” Trotz said.
“He checked off pretty well every box and when he became available, we went and made a good pitch for him.”
Teammates were aware of Williams’ and Richards’ playoff histories long before they signed with Washington, but what they discovered throughout the season were the areas that can’t always be measured on the back of a hockey card.
“Willie the whole year has just been a guy that knows exactly what to say at the right moment,” Wilson said.
“He’s not talking in the room unless he needs to. Ritchie is the same way. They have that calm demeanor about them on an everyday basis and when something needs to said, they definitely step up and make sure that everyone is on the right track.”
Among those impressed has been Williams’ stall mate at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, captain Alex Ovechkin.
“He’s a perfect, perfect fit for our team,” Ovechkin said. “Perfect guy in the locker room. He’s the kind of guy who knows exactly what he has to do. He’s a tremendous work ethic guy out there, he tries to win every battle, in front of the net he’s outstanding and you can see how many goals he’s scored in front of the net. That’s his weapon and that’s his key.”
Williams will line up as the Capitals’ second-line right winger — as he has for much of the season — skating alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov, 24, and Andre Burakovsky, 21.
“Even though he’s won three Cups, he still [acts] my age,” said Kuznetsov, Washington’s leading scorer this season with 77 points in 82 games.
“We talk, we make fun, even on the bench if a game is not going well, we try to stay positive and make some jokes. It’s always good to have guys like Justin.”
Richards, who is also a perfect 7-0 in career Game 7s, will begin the postseason as the Capitals’ third-line center, skating alongside Chimera and Marcus Johansson.
“He recognizes key points in series and games and he responds to it, whether it’s a time to be physical, or a big defensive play or a big faceoff,” said General Manager Brian MacLellan.
“He’s the type of guy that’s always played better in big games.”
In addition to his Stanley Cup rings from the 2012 and 2014 Los Angeles Kings, Richards also won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2010, an AHL Calder Cup with the Philadelphia Phantoms in 2005 and a Canadian Hockey League Memorial Cup with the Kitchener Rangers in 2003.
“He’s got a great demeanor and he has the ability to have really good perspective and slow things down when everything gets a little hectic,” Trotz said of the Caps midseason acquisition.
“That’s why I think guys will lean on him, I think he’ll be a good influence on our group as he has been all year. I think in the playoffs, he finds a way to affect the game in a positive way, every time he’s in the playoffs. That’s the same with Justin Williams.”
