When Boyd Gordon Was a Top-Line Center

"[He] surprised me a lot. He's going to be a great player one day."

-Jaromir Jagr on Boyd Gordon, Oct. 9, 2003

During his seven seasons with the Washington organization, Boyd Gordon has come to fill some of the less-glamorous roles required by the Capitals: the aggressive fore-checker. The reliable penalty killer. The trusty right-handed face-off specialist. The shorthanded sniper?

[Bet you didn't think you'd see the home blacks again anytime soon.]

With his shorthanded tally in Game 3 and absolute beauty of a saucer pass to Mike Knuble for the game-tying dagger last night, Commissioner Gordon's offensive contributions have been timely and unexpected, especially after he watched Game 2 from the press box.

And while Gordon isn't paid to score goals for this hockey team, it's nice to see that Jaromir Jagr at least got something right during this time in Washington.

Please to recall Opening Night 2003-04, when Bruce Cassidy's Caps laid a 6-1 beatdown on the New York Islanders before 15,791 at MCI Center: Gordon, 19, centered Jagr's top line and recorded the lone assist on Jagr's goal during Gordon's first NHL shift (Alexander Semin, by the way, also 19 at the time, was a healthy scratch!).

Jagr "is really showing me the ropes," Gordon told the Post's Jason La Canfora after the game, in which Jon Gruden (!), Peter Bondra, Mike Grier and Jeff Halpern also tallied. "It was a special night for me, something I will always remember."

The same could be said Gordon's past two games in Montreal.

[Image via this stalkerish Boyd Gordon gallery]