ARLINGTON, VA — The Capitals’ win Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils marked not only the team’s first regulation win of the season but also a standout performance from the oft-struggling Anthony Mantha. After a rocky start to the year that saw Mantha healthy scratched in the Cap’s second game, Mantha was one of the team’s best forwards Wednesday night and put up a two-point (1g, 1a) night.
Head coach Spencer Carbery had high praise for Mantha’s game against New Jersey when speaking to reporters at Friday’s morning skate.
“I thought his best game dating back to preseason, the best game that I’ve seen him play since I’ve been here,” Carbery said. “So something he can build off of.”
Mantha gave the Capitals their first lead all season early in the first when he scored a no-look goal. The tally marked Mantha’s first of the 2023-24 season and his first as a Capital since March 22, 2023 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Gonna need Shep's parents interviewed for the whole night pic.twitter.com/VzKnqlUCIU
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 25, 2023
After the game, Mantha said he was planning to pass to Beck Malenstyn on the two-on-one, “but I saw the D kind of jumped up really quick, so I just turn my wrist and fired [the puck] five hole.”
Dylan Strome and Sonny Milano would follow up Mantha’s goal with tallies of their own to end the first period 3-0.
“We knew we didn’t play well [against Toronto], we knew we had to get better starts to our games, and that’s exactly what we did tonight,” Mantha said.
He would earn his second point of the night in the third period, passing the puck to Connor McMichael on a two-on-one for what would become the game-winning goal.
Mikey squeaks one by for the lead pic.twitter.com/I0DbJuDYVe
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 26, 2023
Mantha nearly earned another assist just minutes later on a Sonny Milano tally, though the goal was eventually overturned on an offsides call.
Though Mantha’s multi-point night stood out on the scoresheet, the subtler aspects of his play impressed Carbery just as much. He pointed to Mantha’s positioning on the McMichael goal as a particular high point.
“What I liked about his game is, I would say the three goals, because even the one that comes back he directly factors in. But there was a lot of little things,” Carbery explained. “Habits things. Some details inside of coverage that leads — if you rewind that two on one, how it begins is he, which we’ve been working with him a lot on, (thinks) ‘oh geez, I’ve got to be in this spot.’ And he gets right to that spot. He gets to the perfect spot. Turnovers created and we’re gone. And we’re off and attacking.
“So yeah, the production and the offensive component is absolutely important to his game. But also the other little things that he’s trying to integrate. I thought he did a really good job the other night.”
For a player who has struggled to find his game in Washington, Mantha told Monumental Sports Network’s Tarik El-Bashir that Wednesday night provided a much-needed boost.
“I started on the fourth line last game, I just started strong, made good plays and obviously that goal got me going also as a line and as a player,” he explained. “The game I had, the coach had confidence in me.”
Mantha, whose name has swirled in trade rumors for much of the last year, practiced Friday morning on the third line with Nicklas Backstrom and Connor McMichael, with whom he played for much of Wednesday night. He will have the chance to repeat his performance at home when the Capitals face the Minnesota Wild at 7pm.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
