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Dylan Strome has gone on a tear since getting hit in the face with a puck, scoring six goals in his last five games

By Ian Oland

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October 30, 2023 7:10 pm

Sometimes in combat sports, a significant strike — no matter if it’s a huge punch to the face or a painful inside leg kick — can wake up a talented but slow-starting MMA fighter. Sure, it causes them pain, but it can also catapult them to another level that they didn’t even know they had.

Dylan Strome appears to have gone through that same experience — no matter if it’s a coincidence or not.

Strome started the first three games of the season goalless and pointless. Then a figurative splash of cold water arrived via a six ounce disc of vulcanized rubber.

The moment happened on October 21, 2023 as the Capitals took on the Montreal Canadiens north of the border. With 13:12 left in the first period, Rasmus Sandin tried to pass the puck off the boards to himself to enter the offensive zone at the tail end of a power play. Canadiens defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic read the play and grabbed the puck off the boards before Sandin. He then attempted to heave the puck out of the zone, but instead caught Dylan Strome in the face with his clearing attempt.

GIF: Monumental Sports Network

Strome crumpled to the ice as his Capitals teammates, likely still scarred from John Carlson’s injury the year before, yelled loudly for head athletic trainer Jason Serbus to come onto the ice.

“It looked really bad from up here,” Craig Laughlin said during Monumental Sports Network’s telecast of the game. “I’m so surprised he got up in such a hurry and went right to the bench. I thought for sure he would have been nicked up there.”

But Strome would stay on the bench. And lead a comeback later in the night. Strome scored twice — both in the third period — to force overtime. The Capitals would lose in the extra session, but Strome and the team have played better since.

Goal 1 against Canadiens on Oct. 21

Strome’s first goal was a backdoor score after being found by Alex Ovechkin.

Goal 2 against Canadiens on Oct. 21

Strome’s second goal of the night again came sneaking down the right side of the net. Evgeny Kuznetsov found the center wide open for another slam dunk.

Goal 3 against Devils on Oct. 25

Strome had another two-goal night four nights later against the Devils. Strome’s first came near the crease, sliding the puck past Vitek Vanecek as he fell to the ice.

Goal 4 against Devils on Oct. 25

His fourth was another slam dunk after Kuznetsov dished near the crease. The clutch goal tied the game 4-4.

Goal 5 against Wild on Oct. 27

Another backdoor goal with an assist from Ovechkin.

Goal 6 against Sharks on Oct. 29

Strome beat Mackenzie Blackwood with a point shot five-hole after a beautiful screen by Tom Wilson near the crease.

Since Strome got kissed by a rose puck, the Capitals have won three of five games and tallied standings points in four of five. After being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Strome has seemingly been at the right place at the right time all the time. The center has also earned a promotion to the top line skating with Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, drawing praise from his head coach for how clutch he’s been.

“The Montreal [goal] sticks out,” Carbery said. “Last night. The power play one in New Jersey to tie that game when we’re in a real tough spot going into the third period. To go with the amount, he’s been able to create offensively. By our numbers, he was attached to 16 scoring chances last night as an individual player. Now, there’s other players involved in those chances but he’s involved in 16 chances for us. A lot is happening positively when he’s on the ice offensively and as a product of that you don’t see him having to defend very much which is always a positive for an offensive player. He’s not spending much time in the defensive zone. He’s constantly in the O-zone on the attack. He’s playing at a real high level.”

While the Capitals as a team have one of the worst finishing rates in all of hockey, Strome, since being decked, is the only player consistently converting.

“It sorta goes in with our whole team as our conversion rate is very, very low so that would play into that,” Carbery said. “We have a joke that he’s in the running for the Cy Young. Everybody knows that he’s the leader right now in the league at 6-0 (six goals, no assists). Right now he’s at like that middle reliever that’s having a really good season at 6-0.”

In the end, what stands out is Strome’s toughness. While the playmaker has never fought in an NHL game, he still has a notable resilience befitting a tough guy. After the Canadiens game, Strome sported a welt and a goose egg along his left jaw line while talking to reporters. It was no big deal to him. Nor to the assembled reporters, who didn’t ask him about it.

Perhaps it will end up being a defining moment. The rush of blood to the head the Capitals needed. Strome could have went into the locker room. Called it a night. Given up.

Instead the Capitals have done the work to dig themselves out of a early-season hole in major part because of Strome.

Screenshot: @Capitals/X

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