The Washington Capitals will face off against the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night in a game that will be particularly memorable for 21-year-old Capitals forward Ryan Leonard.
The Capitals enter an Eastern Conference battle with a 9-6-0 record, facing off against a strong Senators team that sits at 11-6-1.
With puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET Tuesday night, it will mark Ryan Leonard’s 100th career NHL game.
Through 99 games, Leonard has tallied 57 points, including 26 goals and 31 assists, becoming the fifth Capital since 1990 to score at least 25 goals through his first 100 career games.
The 100-game mark for Ryan Leonard feels a little special as well, as his journey and entrance into the NHL were quite the roller coaster.
Ryan Leonard’s Career
590 days and 99 games ago, Ryan Leonard played his final career college hockey game, with Boston College falling short in the regional final of the NCAA tournament.
The day after, Leonard signed his pro contract, and the following day he made his NHL debut for the Caps against Boston.
The crazy entrance into the NHL didn’t stop there, however. Three days later, on that Friday, Leonard scored his first career NHL goal in the same game that Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky’s record.
Even funnier, the following Sunday, Leonard played in the game where Ovechkin broke the record. That same night, he submitted a college quiz.
An insane start to an NHL career for a player who has been incredibly promising himself.
After a short first season with the Caps, he played 75 games in his second season, tallying 45 points, including 20 goals and 25 assists, while averaging only 14:24 of ice time per game.
So far this season, he has continued to develop on the fourth line, currently on pace for 61 points, 28 goals and 33 assists while averaging 14:04 of ice time.
As the Caps continue to bring in young guys to follow the Ovechkin era, Leonard will be a pivotal piece in helping them compete in the near future.
Caps Face Off Against Ottawa
Looking to get a win in Leonard’s 100th game, the Caps will have a tall challenge ahead of them against the Senators.
The Caps have a 4-3-3 record against Ottawa in their last 10 meetings, and heading on the road to Canadian Tire Centre will create quite the challenge as they look to win back-to-back games.
Logan Thompson is set to get the start against Samuel Ersson. The two goaltenders have similar stats this year, with Thompson searching for his seventh win this season.
The Caps’ lines will remain the same as Thursday night’s win against the Panthers, with Rasmus Sandin and Vincent Desharnais both still residing on IR.
Alex Tuch – Dylan Strome – Jordan Kyrou
Aliaksei Protas – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson
Alex Ovechkin – Justin Sourdif – Anthony Beauvillier
Boone Jenner – Ilya Protas – Ryan Leonard
Jakob Chychrun – Matt Roy
Martin Fehervary – Timothy Liljegren
Cole Hutson – Jack St. Ivany
Logan Thompson
With Leonard set to face off against Ottawa in his 100th career game, the Caps will be counting on the young forward to continue helping them make a push in the Metropolitan Division in tonight’s Eastern Conference battle.
Ryan Leonard Set to Reach 100-Game Milestone as Capitals Face Ottawa