WASHINGTON _ Barry Trotz waved to the adoring crowd at Capital One Arena as it stood to applaud him, saluted the Capitals' bench with Alex Ovechkin leaning over to ask how he liked the video tribute and then touched his heart during the first-period appreciation highlighting his four seasons in Washington, culminating with the Stanley Cup celebration in June.
And then the Islanders put on a defensive clinic, keeping the shots to the outside and limiting the rebounds, as a real homage to Trotz's coaching skills and vaulted over the Capitals and into first place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Islanders topped the Capitals, 2-0, on Friday night on third-period goals from Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck and 19 saves from Thomas Greiss, who notched his second shutout of the season and 10th of his career. Coupled with the Blues Jackets' 4-1 loss to the visiting Canadiens, the Islanders are one point ahead of both Columbus and the Capitals.
"Really, my heart is full of good memories," said Trotz, who made his first return to the building. "I worked with great people, had good teams, won a lot of games. We did the ultimate. We won the Cup. I had a smile on my face all day today."
The way the Islanders (28-15-4) are playing helps. They've won 14 of 17 and are 7-0-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets after Thursday night's 4-1 win over the Devils at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum.
Bailey tipped Mathew Barzal's shot at 5:08 of the third period and Clutterbuck added insurance at 7:34.
Braden Holtby stopped 23 shots for the Capitals (27-15-5), who are in an 0-3-1 slump. Among his nine second-period saves was stuffing Bailey at the crease and denying Brock Nelson's breakaway with 10.4 seconds to go.
The Islanders hired Trotz on June 20, just three days after he resigned from the Capitals as the two sides could not agree on financial terms for a new contract. The Capitals presented Trotz, as well as Islanders associate coach Lane Lambert and director of goaltending Mitch Korn their Stanley Cup rings before the Capitals' 4-1 win at Barclays Center on Nov. 26. Trotz, as an opposing coach, was afforded the rare opportunity that day to enter the Capitals dressing room and address his former players.
But after 15 seasons coaching the Predators and the previous four behind the Capitals' bench, Trotz said the singular moment of winning the Stanley Cup defines who he is.
"All it does is it's part of your past," Trotz said. "I'm not looking at the past. I'm looking at the future and the future is with the Islanders and trying to see if we can get back to where we'd like to get the Islanders to. They've been a pretty historic franchise in the past. I'd like to get it to the level where we're a threat every year."
The Capitals also acknowledged Lambert and Korn during a stoppage at 6:19 of the first period. For Trotz, though, his trip back to his former home arena was more about being able to say thank you and goodbye to the personnel he did not get to speak to after leaving the Capitals.
"I met with some of the security people and all that and we had a few laughs," Trotz said. "Some of the trainers came by to say hi. Just a lot of people you don't get to see when you leave a certain place, thank them for all their time and effort and kindness."
