The Washington Capitals made a big move at the trade deadline, sending forward Jakob Vrana to the Detroit Red Wings for Anthony Mantha, Richard Panik, a 2021 first-round draft pick, and a second-round pick in 2022.
As a rookie, Vrana was a vital piece of the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2018 but had fallen out of favor with head coach Peter Laviolette. The Capitals are in a win-now mode, and while they won’t know until this summer if the move pays off, the early results were good.
Mantha scored a goal and added an assist in his first game in Washington as the Caps (28-11-4, 60 points) beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1 at Capital One Arena Tuesday night.
“He was in the mix of the play all night,” Peter Laviolette said of Mantha’s game.” “I thought he had good chemistry with his linemates.” “Coming in here the way he did and meeting everyone for the first time, it’s always a little challenging, and you never know what’s going to happen, and I thought he played a pretty good game.”
Mantha was thrown into the mix early, playing on the Caps’ second line with center Nicklas Backstrom and right winger T.J. Oshie.
“It was awesome I can’t ask for much better in my first game over here,” he said after the game. “Hopefully we get our chemistry over the next couple of games, and we catch fire.”
Washington’s Connor Sheary opened the scoring at the 7:07 mark of the first period, scoring his 11th goal of the year on an assist from Daniel Sprong and Lars Eller.
Philadelphia’s Sean Courtier tied the game at the 8:45 mark, but it was all Washington from thereon.
The Caps closed the first period with a three-goal onslaught.
Tom Wilson scored on a power play to make the score 2-1. Nicklas Backstrom and Carl Hagelin followed him.
In the second period, it was Mantha’s turn. He demonstrated his big shot, taking a pass from T.J. Oshie and beating Flyers goalie Brian Elliott.
“The first couple of shifts were a little stressed, but as it went on,” Mantha said. “I think it kind of got easier for me, really pumped about my first game.”
Alex Ovechkin scored the night’s final goal in the third period, giving him 728 career goals, three behind Marcel Dion for fifth place on the all-time scoring list.