ARLINGTON, VA — Last time the Capitals faced the Anaheim Ducks, Washington lost one of its star players. The Caps will finish their season series with the Ducks on Monday — a month to the day since Anaheim defenseman Jacob Trouba laid a hit on rookie Ryan Leonard that knocked him out of the lineup for seven games — and they’ll do so with extra firepower in the lineup.
Dylan McIlrath will draw in against Anaheim for his sixth game of the season, his first since playing against the New York Rangers on New Year’s Eve. While McIlrath is known for his physicality and willingness to drop the gloves, head coach Spencer Carbery denied that the Trouba hit influenced his lineup decisions.
“We would never — I would never, I’ll speak for myself — just based on an event in a previous game, dress a guy,” he said. “What Mac does for us, and what he does as a player, and what he’s done through his career goes so much further than the physical part of the game.
“There’s so many things that he brings to our group. And I’m not even talking about on the ice. I’m talking about in the locker room, his energy, his buy-in, how much he cares, how hard he competes. So that’s evaluated every day.”
In 31 career games with Washington, McIlrath has four assists and 40 penalty minutes, including six fighting majors.
Asked if he expected any carryover effects from the Trouba hit on Monday, even beyond McIlrath, Carbery replied, “I don’t think so.”
“I think two competitive teams, 40-some-odd competitive guys, I think that, and the league — guys just play hard,” he continued. “And it’ll be physical, it’ll be hard tonight, and I think it’ll be no different than the game in Anaheim or the game we just played at home.”
But the Capitals haven’t been shy to voice their opinions on the hit. Trouba was not penalized on the play, which sent an unsuspecting Leonard into the boards and onto the ice. Tom Wilson later asked Trouba to fight but was declined, and didn’t mince words when asked about the incident postgame.
“I could see it coming,” he said of the hit. “[Trouba] knows exactly what he’s doing. Kid’s in a vulnerable spot, and obviously, Leno’s pretty banged up. I asked him to fight, he said no, and we’ll leave it at that.”
Carbery told reporters a few days later that he thought the NHL should work to prevent players from leveling those sorts of hits.
“I don’t like the hit,” he said. “I understand the league’s stance and the refs’ stance on the hit. I just — to me, we have to do something as a league. I don’t know where this goes, if anything — it’s just the head contact is the key, right? That’s the key to all of this, is the head contact, and whether he’s low, and he’s in a very, very vulnerable spot.”
Leonard, who had scored eight points (2g, 6a) in seven games before the hit, sustained injuries to his collarbone and face. He was ultimately out for three weeks before returning to play on December 31.
Whether the Capitals look for revenge via fists or via the scoreboard, they’ll certainly have some extra motivation when the Ducks come to Washington. Puck drop is set for 7 pm at Capital One Arena.
