- As a former offensive-minded player himself, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau knows how Nicklas Backstrom is feeling these days.Twenty-one games without a goal tears you up inside and absolutely obliterates your confidence, but Boudreau is not by any means angry, upset or worried about his star center."It's gotta break," the coach said Wednesday. "He's too good of a hockey player for this to go on."Backstrom is terribly frustrated that he hasn't had a single puck cross that goal line since Dec. 1. He's been asked why "over 200 times lately," but he doesn't have an answer other than to say, "You just have to work hard, maybe go to the net a little harder and maybe the puck will bounce in there, hopefully."Boudreau isn't concerned or even alarmed because Backstrom hasn't let the rest of his game fall apart, too."He's not a one-dimensional player, that's why I don't worry," Boudreau said. "He kills penalties. His faceoffs have been extraordinary. You put him out in defensive situations in the last minute when you need things done. Obviously for him, because I know it's tough for him to go through, I'd like him to score, but he can always make up for a lack of scoring by doing something else, and he always does."Since I've had him, he's always been that way. I've always been able to count on him."