Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Its no surprise people wondered how Barry Trotz would get along with Alex Ovechkin. To say Ovechkin is at the center of the storm for the Washington Capitals would be putting it too lightly. The superstar winger has become so utterly synonymous with the only NHL franchise hes ever known that everything the Caps do is quickly related back to Ovechkin. So when Trotz was hired last spring as Washingtons new head coach, the talk of the town was how would the defensive-minded bench boss mesh with the uber- talented but undisciplined Ovechkin. While there have been growing pains for both Ovechkin and the Caps as a whole under Trotz, Thursdays thrilling Winter Classic victory over the Chicago Blackhawks may have been Washingtons coming out party for the hockey world at large. With nearly 43,000 fans in attendance at Nationals Park, the Caps recorded a 3-2 win over the visiting Blackhawks thanks to Troy Brouwers game-winning power-play goal with 12.9 seconds left in regulation. Ovechkin was awarded an assist on Brouwers big goal and also scored earlier in the game. The two-point performance gives Ovechkin 18 goals and 14 assists in 37 games under Trotz. That level of production is not quite up to the standards set by the three-time Hart Trophy winner, but more importantly, Ovi and his team are trending upward in terms of wins and losses. Washington got off to a mediocre 10-10-4 start under Trotz, but the club has really gained traction over the last several weeks. The New Years Day win over Chicago gives the Caps a 9-1-3 mark over their last 13 games, and the latest victory allowed Washington to leap over the New York Rangers for the third and final automatic playoff berth in the Metropolitan Division. While previous Capitals coaches like Bruce Boudreau, Dale Hunter and Adam Oates would at times publicly call Ovechkin out for his lack of discipline, Trotz is seemingly adheres to the old saying if you cant find anything nice to say, dont say anything at all. The former longtime Nashville Predators coach instead has been singing the praises of Ovechkin to anyone who will listen, and for good reason. Although Ovi is not producing at his normal point-per-game pace, his overall game has seemed to thrive under Trotz. Last season, Ovi had a dreadful minus-35 rating in 78 games. This season he is sporting a plus-eight through 37 tilts. Even if you think plus/minus is a useless stat (which most of the times it is) that kind of turnaround simply cant be dismissed or ignored. After the victory over the Blackhawks on the outdoor stage, Trotz offered a full-throated endorsement of his star player and seemed to say the criticism of Ovi over the years has not been fair. A lot of people want to tear him apart, but how many superstars have scored as many goals, how many superstars put people in the seats, how many superstars play as physical as Alex Ovechkin? Theres not very many, Trotz said. And thats what makes him unique. Of course, people will continue to knock Ovechkin until he leads a team to a Stanley Cup title. But at the moment, with Trotz as his biggest fan, things are certainly looking up in D.C. CLASSIC TV RATINGS HIT ALL-TIME LOW On paper, it seemed like this years Winter Classic was a marquee matchup. On one side you had a household name like Ovechkin, and on the other was the Chicago Blackhawks, a team with several recognizable faces thanks to a pair of recent Stanley Cups championships. However, early reports of the television ratings for the NBC broadcast tell a different story as Thursdays game was the lowest-rated Winter Classic since the New Years tradition began at Buffalos Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2008. The Blackhawks-Caps pulled an overnight rating of 2.3, well below the 2.9 rating that last seasons clash between Detroit and Toronto at Michigan Stadium. The previous low was a 2.4 rating for the 2012 Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, but that matchup at Citizens Bank Park in Philly may have been hurt by the fact that it was played on Jan. 2 instead of New Years Day. Perhaps, the location hurt the Classic, as Nationals Park is a newer stadium without the cache of places like The Big House, Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. Also, this was the first time the Winter Classic didnt have the documentary series 24/7 on HBO to build up excitement over the weeks leading into the game. There was a similar program called Road To The Winter Classic that aired on EPIX, a channel that simply cant compete with the high profile offered by a place on HBOs airwaves. The NHL should hope that either of those two reasons led to the low ratings this time because the alternative may be the outdoor game is simply losing its luster. That would hardly be a surprise considering the 2013-14 season saturated the market with six outdoor games. There will be another opportunity to gauge the interest in outdoor games on Feb. 21 when the San Jose Sharks welcome the Los Angeles Kings to Levis Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Bryan Witzmann Jersey . -- Keith Aulie has joined the Tampa Bay Lightning. Phillip Gaines Jersey . The United States clinched the final berth into the Ford Worlds, March 28-April 6 at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, on Saturday in Blaine, Minn. http://www.cheapbrownsjerseysauthentic.c...anganofo-jersey. The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Dedrick Young II Jersey . They kicked off the still-going trend of host cities winning the Grey Cup and sent Hall of Fame head coach Wally Buono to the front office a champion. David Njoku Jersey . The 25-year-old native of Milford, Conn., has 18 points in 41 games this season. The five-foot-eight 166-pound centre also has 28 points (10-18) in 15 games with AHL Oklahoma City.The 30-man shortlist for the 2016 Ballon dOr was announced last week, and you can see 10 of the nominees live on Sky Sports this weekend. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale were joined on the star-studded shortlist by two of Leicesters Premier League title-winning heroes.Check out the full list here and get these games in your diary this weekend… Real Madrid v Leganes (Sunday, 10.55am, Sky Sports 2 HD)Cristiano Ronaldo is the strong favourite to win the award after helping Real Madrid to Champions League glory and captaining Portugal to Euro 2016 success last season. But he wont be the only nominee on show in Sundays La Liga clash with Leganes. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are Ballon dOr nominees Ronaldos fellow forward Gareth Bale will also be aiming for a strong performance in front of the Sky Sports cameras. The Wales international is growing at stature in the Spanish capital having signed a lucrative new six-year contract earlier this week.In midfield, Luka Modric is expected to return from an injury, while Toni Kroos is also likely to play a part. Defenders Pepe and Sergio Ramos, however, are not expected to be fit. R Madrid vs Leganes November 6, 2016, 10:55am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Leicester v West Brom (Sunday, 4.15pm, Sky Sports 1 HD)This time last year, the idea that a Premier League clash between Leicester and West Brom could feature Ballon dOr winners would have seemed unlikely, but not anymore. Riyad Mahrez is expected to start for Leicester against West Brom Riyad Mahrez made the shortlist after scoring 17 goals and claiming 11 assists on Leicesters way to the title. His efforts were rewarded with the PFA Player of the Year award, and he is sure to play a key role against West Brrom on Super Sunday.ddddddddddddJamie Vardy also earned a nomination after top scoring in the Premier League this season. The England striker was dropped to the bench for a recent clash with Crystal Palace, but he was back in the team against Tottenham last week and he is expected to start against the Baggies. Leicester vs W Brom November 6, 2016, 4:15pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Sevilla v Barcelona (Sunday 7.30pm, Sky Sports 1HD)Barcelonas trip to Sevilla on Sunday night rounds off a great weekend of action on Sky Sports. Lionel Messi will lead Luis Enriques side at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. Last years Ballon dOr winner will be eager to get back to winning ways after Barcelonas defeat by Manchester City. Barcelonas front three are all in action against Sevilla He will be helped by the other members of the Catalans MSN front three, both of whom received nominations for this years award.Luis Suarez has started the season strongly after scoring 59 goals in all competitions last season, and Neymar has also shone. Their fellow nominee Andres Iniesta is injured, but Barcelona fans will be hoping MSN are at their devastating best on Sunday night. Sevilla vs Barcelona November 6, 2016, 7:30pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Also See: Ballon dOr shortlist Real Madrid v Leganes Sevilla v Barcelona Leicester v West Brom [