WASHINGTON -- Washington center Nicklas Backstrom started his season a week later than the rest of his teammates.

Saturday night, he looked like he hadn't missed a beat.

Backstrom, who missed three games while recovering from May hip surgery, celebrated his season debut with a goal and two assists, and the Capitals defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1.

"That's how special he is. When you watch a guy who hasn't played any exhibition games and he comes into ... a fast game against a fast team and he looked like he'd never missed a beat," Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.

"You realize how good he is once he's back in the lineup, and what he does for our lineup. It looked pretty easy for him."

Right wing T.J. Oshie added a goal and an assist for Washington. Backstrom helped give Washington the early lead when he assisted on Oshie's first period power-play tally.

And 1:38 into the third period, Backstrom corralled a loose puck along the boards in the Carolina end. He fired on net and the puck appeared to hit a Hurricanes defenseman before sneaking between goalie Cam Ward's pads to make it 2-0.

"That's what they say, 'good things happen when you throw the puck to the net,'" Backstrom said.

Defenseman John Carlson and left wing Alex Ovechkin added third-period goals, and Braden Holtby had 18 saves for Washington (3-1-0), which won the final two games of its four-game season-opening homestand.

Carolina center Jeff Skinner's goal midway through the third period pulled the Hurricanes (1-4-0) to within 2-1 and Ward, playing his second game in two nights, made 30 saves.

"He kept us in it for the most part," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said of Ward, "and there were a few turnovers at the end that were too much to overcome ..."

The Hurricanes were outshot 17-5 in the first 20 minutes, but trailed only 1-0.

Oshie scored with a slap shot from the slot off Backstrom's pass when he fired just under the cross bar with 4:03 left in the opening period.

"Backstrom's one of the best, if not the best, play-maker in the league," Oshie said. "So obviously it's great having him back."

Backstrom led the NHL in assists (60) and power-play assists (30) last season.

"Early on, we weren't getting in on the forecheck and it's hard to generate offense when you're not spending time in the other team's end," Skinner said. "Obviously they've got some guys that can hurt you. I think we were a little bit on our heels. It seemed like they sort of controlled the pace of the play."

When Washington right wing Jay Beagle and Carlson picked up back-to-back penalties, Carolina had a two-man advantage for 38 seconds early in the second period, but couldn't get the equalizer.

They put the puck in the net however after Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner pushed Skinner into Holtby.

After Washington's goaltender fell in the crease and lost his mask, defenseman Justin Faulk fired into the net as Holtby, visibly angry afterward, covered his face. The goal was disallowed and the Capitals killed off the remainder of the power play.

"It was huge," Holtby said of the penalty kill. "There's always a time in the game where defensively you have to turn it back in your favor and the guys did a very good job."

At the other end, Ward kept Carolina close with two superb saves in the period.

First he denied left wing Marcus Johansson with a sprawling pad save and later robbed Oshie, who was alone in front, with his glove.

The Capitals outshot the Hurricanes 24-4 at even strength in the first two periods.

NOTES: Nicklas Backstrom centered a Capitals line that included LW Marcus Johansson and RW Justin Williams, as coach Barry Trotz kept his top line of LW Alex Ovechkin, C Evgeny Kuznetsov and RW T.J. Oshie intact. ... Williams registered 201 points (81 goals, 120 assists) in 265 games with Carolina from 2003-09. ... Carolina scratches included C Riley Nash, C Joakim Nordstrom and D Brett Pesce. ... C Michael Latta, RW Stanislav Galiev and D Nat Schmidt were scratched for Washington. ... The Capitals begin a three-game Western Canada swing on Tuesday at Calgary. ... Carolina continues its seven-game trip Wednesday at Colorado.