Anthony Mantha is second on the Capitals in goals and fifth in points, and he’s scored in six of 10 games over the last three weeks – and as he told Grant & Danny Wednesday, this season has seen it all fall into place for him.
“I think this year has been really good. Obviously, I found great chemistry with (Connor) McMichael and (Aliaksei) Protas there, so just trying to keep that rolling - obviously, the last couple of games maybe didn't go our way as much, but just a matter of time before we get rolling again,” Mantha said. “Coach Carbs came in and he tried to give confidence to all the guys, and he told me that he's watched me play so many times over the last couple of years and he knows exactly what I'm able to bring when I do bring it, so for him, the message was clear: give him more offensively and defensively and I was going to get the ice time, and he's doing just that right now.”
Controlling play and the puck has been the key and difference for the Caps on good days versus bad, and Mantha’s line has been the most consistent for the Caps.
“It varies. With those guys, it’s basically their first full season, and starting the season on the squad I think gave them an edge and the confidence,” Mantha said, “and for me, they kind of got me going too, like we just kind of clicked right away when we started playing together and we never looked back. We just told ourselves to stay connected and talk to each other a lot so we know where we're at on the ice when the time comes, and it's just been really solid so far.”
Danny finds the line fun to watch because McMichael looks like a mite next to the other two, and hey, it takes different strokes to move the world.
“That’s how good chemistry comes together; different players, different type of players, different mentalities, and that's exactly what's going on here,” Mantha said. “Coach Carbs has experience at all levels, so he doesn’t change the way he coaches in any way, and he’s been handling things well.”
Mantha is second in goals with 11, matching his total from last season, but the Caps have struggled to score as a whole at times…and are still trying to figure out why.
“We’ve reflected multiple times as a team, and obviously, yes, expected goals are supposed to be higher, but it still doesn't change the fact that you're not scoring enough,” Mantha said. “We’ve been focusing on that the last two or three weeks in practice, to kind of create more offensively 5-on-5, and I think it's kind of starting to click. We just need to shoot more; at the end of the day, and that's how you're maybe gonna produce more and get those rebounds, those second and third chances.”
Take a listen to Mantha’s entire segment above, which also includes some thoughts on All-Star Tom Wilson and more!