Ivan Miroshnichenko achieved another NHL career first on Saturday.
After taking the ice for his 10th game this season for the Washington Capitals which officially burns a year off of his entry-level contract, Miroshnichenko helped get the Caps on the board against the Vancouver Canucks with his first NHL assist. The helper came on Tom Wilson’s second-period goal and it was an absolute beauty.
John Carlson kicked the play off by sending a soft shot to the front of the net that got knocked down before it could get to Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith. Miroshnichenko was the first to pounce on the loose biscuit and sent a backhand feed to Tom Wilson at the side of Vancouver’s net without looking.
The deft pass caught the Canucks defense and goaltender lacking and Wilson had a tap-in for his 16th goal of the year. The assist is Miro’s third career point in the NHL after he scored his first NHL goal against Pittsburgh on March 7 and notched his second against Edmonton last week.
The 20-year-old winger was so excited after the goal that he jumped into Wilson’s arms to celebrate.
Saturday night’s contest was Miroshnichenko’s sixth-straight game in the Capitals’ lineup. Over the past few outings, he has kept veteran forwards Mike Sgarbossa and Nicolas Aube-Kubel out of action as healthy scratches with his good play.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery has had the young Russian skating with Wilson and Dylan Strome on the team’s second line.
