“Well, they could have been better,” Rutherford said of Schultz and his defense partner, Jack Johnson. “I know everybody picks on Jack and they have for a long time, but I think, in that pairing, Justin Schultz had a lot more to give.”
Schultz’s addition to the blue line has paid dividends for a team that at times struggled defensively last season. He has solidified his spot on the second pairing next to Dmitry Orlov, and with only 22 games left in the regular season he has helped balance out the group. It has also been a welcome chance to reset.
“I think there was a little bit of extra motivation when a team doesn’t really want you anymore,” Schultz said. “You know, it gives you some motivation to work hard and prove yourself again.”
“Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted to in the playoffs in the bubble,” Schultz said of the Penguins’ surprising loss to Montreal. “I didn’t play my best, and it’s a business and I understand that now. I’ve been in the league for a while. It is what it is, and [I’m] thankful I got a chance here in Washington and hopefully we can make a good run at it this year.”
Schultz had a fast start with the Capitals, a stretch he called some of the best hockey of his career.
He then missed four games after he took a puck to the face in late January. He had to wear a full bubble shield, which can impede a player’s vision, for a month after he returned to practice. He has not fully reached his early-season form, but he said he is close.
“As a person, he’s right up my alley,” Capitals defenseman John Carlson said. “He is laid-back, loves sports — we talk about sports a lot — watch whatever is on TV, shoot the breeze. He’s been great for us, too. He’s been having an unbelievable year. I think he’s playing as good as I’ve ever seen him play.”
Capitals assistant coach Kevin McCarthy, who works primarily with the defensemen, remembers the version of Schultz from the 2017 Stanley Cup finals, when McCarthy and Capitals Coach Peter Laviolette were in Nashville.
At the time, McCarthy mainly took note of Schultz’s offensive skill set, but now he has seen the strong defensive side of his game after being around him consistently.
“He sees the ice well. He is a smart player,” McCarthy said. “He defends well. He’s got a really good stick and you can appreciate his all-around game. He is a very strong 200-foot player. That part of it, you look at the offense and you forget that from a defensive standpoint you don’t have any issues playing him against any line that is out there, so it gives you the confidence to put him out there in any situation.”
McCarthy said Schultz brings balance on the right side of the defense to complement Carlson. Having two strong offensive-minded defensemen in the top four — something the Capitals have lacked in the recent past — can create a dilemma for opponents as they contemplate matchups.
“It’s subtle offense,” defenseman Nick Jensen said. “It is not super flashy all the time, but he is very offensively involved. It is not always right-in-your-face involved, but he is always finding ways to generate offense, whether it is skating up the ice and moving it to the forwards and joining as a second wave.”
Washington, which faces the Rangers on Tuesday, tries to give the pairing of Orlov and Schultz a lot of offensive-zone faceoff starts to take advantage of Schultz’s skill set. They then have the chance to keep the puck in that part of the ice and drive the offense forward. Because neither plays on the penalty kill like the other four regular defensemen — Carlson, Jensen, Brenden Dillon and Zdeno Chara — power-play opportunities and extra offensive-zone starts help to even out ice time.
Schultz and Orlov also have benefited from extended time together. The blue line hasn’t suffered any injuries since Schultz took that puck to the face. It has allowed the Capitals to dress the same three defensive pairings — Dillon-Carlson, Orlov-Schultz and Chara-Jensen — for many games.
“We have really got into a groove and chemistry with partners, and there is something to be said about that,” McCarthy said. “When you have the same pairs together, you start to form that bond you need, you know?”