Backstrom: 'We have to keep going'

There's no question from anyone at KCI that the Capitals will miss Alex Ovechkin's presence, but they also agree that it's far from a death knell for a team loaded with talent. And the Capitals are anxious to remind everyone they can not just survive, but win, without the two-time Hart Trophy winner. "It's going to be a challenge," Nicklas Backstrom said. "We have to show we can play without him. He's a great player and I think he doesn't want to be out, but. ... we have to keep going." The most visible loss will be Ovechkin's goal-a-game average and offensive presence. But the Capitals know they don't necessarily need to score an extra goal a game to make up for the 24-year-old's absence, and that making a concerted effort to rededicate themselves defensively can have the same effect. "It's probably a long time coming," Mike Knuble said of (link)