Spencer Carbery shares thoughts on Ryan Leonard

This one started like another night where Washington might run out of runway, down 2-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs before the midway point. Then the Caps leaned on their new identity, push in waves, defend aggressively, let their puck movers cook.

Jakob Chychrun, now very much that puck mover, ripped the go-ahead one timer from the right circle after a cross ice feed from Leonard, extending his goal streak to five games and giving him six in his last five.

The 27 year old defenseman is up to 8 goals and 21 points in 21 games this season, a ridiculous pace that has him tied for 40th in league scoring from the blue line.

Washington's comeback finished as a 4-2 win, with Connor McMichael starting the rally, Anthony Beauvillier tying it, and Tom Wilson hitting the empty net for the Caps' third straight victory and ninth win in their last twelve.

Leonard's assist will show as a single point, but the 20 year old is already at 5 goals and 10 points in 21 games, not bad for a rookie winger taken eighth overall in the 2023 draft.

After the game, Spencer Carbery raved about the «behind the scenes» version of Leonard, telling reporter Tarik El Bashir that everyone knows the talent, but the kid's obsession with winning and improving is what really pops.

Leonard arrived from Boston College with the scouting report reading compete, shot, edge, and you can see why the Caps were willing to wait while he dominated the NCAA with back to back 30 goal seasons.

What stands out most now is usage, Carbery keeps Leonard out in late game situations with skilled players, trusting his reads and work rate against top competition instead of sheltering him.

If this is what Leonard looks like in game twenty one, and this is what Chychrun looks like when someone feeds him clean pucks, the Caps might have quietly found a new foundational duo for the post Alex Ovechkin era without sacrificing the present.