Justin Williams awaits playoff judgment with Capitals

LOS ANGELES – Justin Williams doesn’t enjoy talking about his reputation as a clutch performer.

Bring it up to his teammates on the Washington Capitals and they note how Williams scoffs at questions about how he’s been ‘Mr. Game 7’ throughout his career.

“It’s come up here and he tries to shoot it down,” Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik said.

This is probably because the 34-year-old Williams’ has a clean slate playoff record with the Washington Capitals. He may be 7-0 in Game 7s in his career, but he’s 0-0 with the Caps, a team that desperately needs another solid playoff performance from Williams this season. Washington has never made it past the second-round of the playoffs during the Alex Ovechkin era.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest today]

The Capitals are an NHL best 49-13-4 heading into their Wednesday night match up with the Los Angeles Kings, Williams’ former team. Williams won the 2014 Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with Los Angeles.

“I don’t really think it has to do with Game 7s it has to do with playoff success and this team has had some but they haven’t had enough by their standards and by how talented the team is,” Williams said.

Williams was also a solid fit for Washington coach Barry Trotz and his two-way system. Williams can play offensively, but also understands the defensive side of the game. He has a rugged maturity about him that’s tailor made for Trotz-coached teams.

With 45 points in 66 games, Williams has already bested his 2014-15 totals he accrued in 81 games with the Kings.

“With Justin, he’s a guy’s guy. He’s a hockey player. He fits in so well in so many areas,” Trotz said. “He understands what’s going on. He’s got a good sense of your emotional level, he’s got great timing in what he says because he’s had some great experiences.”

According to Trotz one of Williams’ strengths is his ability to see the big picture of a season. Though he’s forged his reputation in the playoffs, he’s able to prepare himself for the postseason by understanding the ins and outs of an NHL year.

“I think he recognizes the importance of the journey,” Trotz said. “The journey is the memories, the bonding, those games, all those things last a long time and in the end you get a trophy. But I think it’s more important in the journey for him. … That’s why I think he enjoys it so much.”

Williams has also brought balance to Washington’s higher lines. He’s currently playing wing with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky, adding a veteran presence to the two talented youngsters.

“I think he’s got the whole package,” Caps center Nicklas Backstrom said. “He’s a great hockey player. He steps up in big games, but he’s an even better guy I think.”

Like the rest of the Capitals, Williams’ contributions won’t be measured until the postseason. He can have a great regular season but ultimately the Capitals didn’t sign him in the summer for this point in the year.

Even his teammates are looking forward to seeing Williams take his game to another level in the playoffs.

“I’ve heard a lot about it so I’m ready to see it,” Backstrom said.

Said Williams “I feel as though all the players that have been here a little while have a different feeling about this year. We’ve showed throughout the year that we’re going to try not to be denied.”

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY

- - - - - - -

Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper