The Finn said that his Washington debut "could've been worse, could've been better."
With the 2022-23 campaign winding down, Henrik Borgstrom was caught by surprise when he got a call from the Washington Capitals saying that he would be called up for these final games amid mounting injuries. Nonetheless, he was happy to be back in the NHL for the first time in nearly a year.
The Finn flew into Boston with the team and suited up for Tuesday's tilt with the Bruins, which marked Washington's second-to-last game of the season. And for Borgstrom, it was a bittersweet experience.
"It was a thing I wasn't expecting, but I was happy," Borgstrom told reporters postgame, but then added, "It was alright. I can't say I'm satisfied with my own play."
Borgstrom skated 8:10 minutes, playing on the third line with Joe Snively and Evgeny Kuznetsov. He did not record any stats in his Capitals debut, though he was the first Finnish-born player to play in a game for Washington since Oskar Osala in 2009.
"Could've been worse, could've been better, but pretty mediocre," he put it simply.
When it came to specifics, Borgstrom elaborated that he wanted to generate more at both ends and potentially create some scoring chances in the 5-2 loss.
said, then explained, "I could’ve made a couple more plays out there and just make a little something happen. that’s what we all want to do, and that’s something I should’ve done too."
The 25-year-old inked a one-year, two-way deal with the Capitals to open the 2022 offseason but did not make the opening night roster. He has spent the year in Hershey, recording eight goals and 13 assists through 54 games.