BOSTON — Ryan Leonard was one pass too early to get credited with an assist on the Capitals goal that broke a 2-2 tie against the Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday.
Leonard won a battle on the wall and then two races to loose pucks to keep the play alive before feeding Aliaksei Protas at the point, which began a tic-tac-toe passing sequence that led to Dylan Strome’s goal with 9:23 left in the game.
But while the play by the debuting rookie didn’t register on the scoresheet, his contribution to that critical play wasn’t lost on his teammates and coaches, who were still forming first impressions of the highly-touted prospect in Washington’s 4-3 win.
“To step into a game a couple days after his college season ends and play the way he did is pretty impressive,“ Caps coach Spencer Carbery said. ”He showed a lot of good things.”
The rookie from Amherst via Boston College displayed considerable calm amid the hockey whirlwind he’s been in for the last three days.
On Sunday, Leonard’s sophomore season and college career ended in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament. On Monday afternoon, he signed with the Capitals, who drafted him eighth overall back in 2023. Later that night, he had dinner with hockey legend Alex Ovechkin and some other new teammates.
On Tuesday, there was a stall with his name on it in the TD Garden visitors’ locker room and a white sweater with his No. 9 on the back.
Leonard is joining the Caps in the middle of two momentous pursuits. Washington is close to locking up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference while still chasing the President’s Trophy for the best regular season record.
At the same time, Ovechkin is closing in on becoming the NHL’s All-Time leading goal scorer. After scoring on Tuesday, he needs just three goals to tie Wayne Gretzky’s 894.
Washington Capitals newly acquired right wing Ryan Leonard, left, and left wing Alex Ovechkin, right, chat during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)AP
With all that as the backdrop, Leonard had one immediate goal as he got set to take the ice for warmups.
“Don’t fall,” he said smiling.
A rookie playing his first game always leads the team onto the ice. As is hockey tradition, his teammates will pause for a few moments before following him, leaving a nervous kid to face the full gaze of the crowd for a few seconds.
Leonard knew if he stumbled, he’d never hear the end of it. But he was fine. He did half a lap and snapped a warm-up puck into the empty goal. He then noticed the maroon-and-gold-clad fans in the corner.
The BC hockey team had national championship aspirations and falling short Sunday hurt. But several players put aside their disappointment to be in the stands to support their now ex-teammate in his NHL debut. He skated over and flipped a souvenir puck their way.
“They told me it was going to happen and they were going to be there, but it didn’t really sink in until that first lap,” he said.
They were far from alone. Leonard had supporters all over the rink.
Many Capitals fans bought tickets to this game weeks ago when it seemed possible that Ovechkin could be in position to catch Gretzky in Boston. They weren’t that hard to come by as the Bruins’ struggles made them a little cheaper and more available.
Add to that the collection of BC supporters plus Leonard’s friends, family and fans from Western Mass. and this was an unusually large Washington showing at TD Garden.
Being able to say they saw Leonard’s debut – and Ovechkin’s 891st goal — wasn’t a bad consolation prize.
Leonard played 20 shifts over 14 minutes and 14 seconds of icetime and delivered three hits in his first game. He skated as the right wing on a line with Strome and Protas.
“It’s definitely a lot faster than college,” he said. “You have to manage the puck a little bit better. I learned as the game went on. Hopefully, I’ll keep getting better.”
As he stood in the dressing room, he didn’t have long to savor. His whirlwind will fittingly continue against Hurricanes on Wednesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. But as staff packed up the team for overnight travel, Leonard smiled.
“If you told me this a couple of years ago, it wouldn’t (feel) real,” he said. “It’s just really cool. I’m just trying to embrace the moment.”
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