Canadian-Capitals | Goal 77 for Anthony Mantha

(Arlington) Anthony Mantha came to the NHL with a reputation as a formidable scorer. This is what happens when a player reaches 50 goals not once, but twice, in the junior ranks.

Guillaume Lefrancois
The Press

The former Val-d’Or Foreurs now wants to score 30 goals for the first time in his National League career. He already has one on his record after two games, and will try to fatten his record on Saturday night, during the Canadian’s visit to Washington.

“That’s my goal, I won’t lie. Is this achievable? Yes, if I am healthy. I just have to stay healthy and believe in it, ”said the forward, during an intimate press scrum with three Montreal journalists, after the Capitals’ morning practice.

Twice, Mantha hit the target at a 30-goal scorer’s pace. In 2018-2019, Elizabeth Mantha’s brother scored 25 in 67 games, then the following year, 16 in 43 games. In both cases, the injuries derailed his plans. Last year, it was a shoulder operation that cut his plans short; he only played 37 games.

So before thinking about 30 goals, the Longueillois focuses on another number: 77. “My goal is to play 77 games or more. It’s not a bad full season. It’s been a long year, but I wish it to myself, that’s for sure.

The other digit

If Mantha has his personal goals, the average hockey fan thinks much more of the number 802. But what the deuce is the Vermont area code doing in this article, the smartest ones will ask? The number 802 rather represents the target to be reached for Alexander Ovechkin, so that he dislodges Gordie Howe from the 2^e rank in NHL history for goals. There would only remain Wayne Gretzky (894) to join afterwards.

Ovechkin is yet to hit the target after two games. But seeing how he beat Charlie Lindgren in practice, with his famous one-timer shot from the top of the left face-off circle, he still seems to have the trick.

“He just has to score his first goal of the year and the machine will be off again, believes Mantha. He scored 50 last year and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was 50 or close to 50 again this year. »

Ovechkin, however, is without Tom Wilson, the winger he has been paired with most often in recent years. Wilson is recovering from knee surgery. Nicklas Backstrom hasn’t played yet this season either, due to major left hip surgery.

Ovechkin started the season with Evgeny Kuznetsov at center and Connor Brown, but will play Saturday’s game alongside Dylan Strome and Brown. The Capitals are 0-2-0 and Peter Laviolette is already looking for solutions.

Capitals are not getting any younger; 13 of the 18 skaters expected in the lineup against the Canadiens are in their thirties, in addition to goaltender Darcy Kuemper. In addition, among these 18 skaters, nine can become unrestricted free agents next summer. So many signals that should create some pressure to win in the American capital…

“There is an urgency to win, decided Laviolette. We are not here to play games, we are here to win games. This team has been successful in season for several years and the standard at the moment is unacceptable. »

This pressure was hardly perceptible on Saturday morning, when Kuznetsov was bantering with Mantha when he saw the French-speaking journalists arriving in the locker room. We will see Saturday night if it will be felt in the performance of the Capitals.