{"id":520452,"date":"2026-03-13T04:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T04:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/520452\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T04:10:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T04:10:08","slug":"ryan-leonard-now-has-the-most-goals-by-a-capitals-rookie-since-nicklas-backstrom-18-years-ago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/520452\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Leonard now has the most goals by a Capitals rookie since Nicklas Backstrom 18 years ago"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ryan Leonard<\/a>\u2019s red-hot play continued in the Washington Capitals\u2019 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old extended his goal-scoring streak to three games and his point streak to five games (4g, 1a) in the win. Both of those marks are new career-bests for Leonard, who now has 35 points (14g, 21a) in 60 games in his rookie campaign.<\/p>\n

Leonard\u2019s lone point in the win, the game-tying goal, came at 2:14 of the second period.<\/p>\n

After making a takeaway in the defensive zone on Sabres defenseman Logan Stanley<\/a>, Leonard raced down the ice unimpeded until the top of the right faceoff circle in Buffalo\u2019s zone on a two-on-one. Noticing Aliaksei Protas<\/a> was sealed off, Leonard called his own number and rifled a wrister past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen<\/a>\u2018s blocker.<\/p>\n

\u201cKid can shoot the hockey puck,\u201d Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren<\/a> said. \u201cI think we\u2019re finding that out. He\u2019s an elite shooter, and I know I\u2019ve said it before, but he\u2019s going to score a heck of a lot of goals in this league. That\u2019s a goal scorer\u2019s goal right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, thought their D was a little lackadaisical with that first pass,\u201d Leonard told Monumental Sports Network\u2019s Al Koken<\/a> during intermission. \u201cI kind of anticipated that and just beat the defenseman to the puck and just tried to execute, give ourselves a chance in this game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leonard\u2019s 14 goals in 60 games this season are the most since Nicklas Backstrom scored 14 goals in 82 games 18 years ago during the 2007-08 campaign. Backstrom finished that season with 69 total points, which is the second-best mark in franchise history behind only Alex Ovechkin<\/a> (106).<\/p>\n

Ryan Leonard’s 14 goals in 60 games this season are the most by a Capitals rookie since Nicklas Backstrom scored 14 goals in 82 games in 2007-08.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Capitals PR (@CapitalsPR) March 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Among NHL rookies this season, Leonard is now tied in goals (14) with Boston\u2019s Fraser Minten<\/a> and Montreal\u2019s Ivan Demidov<\/a>. His 35 points rank fourth behind only Anaheim\u2019s Beckett Sennecke<\/a> (51), Demidov (51), and New York\u2019s Matthew Schaefer<\/a> (47).<\/p>\n

Leonard\u2019s 35 points rank him 17th among all-time Capitals rookies. He is on pace to finish the year with 44 points, which would take him past names like John Carlson<\/a> (37), Evgeny Kuznetsov (37), and Michal Pivonka (43) and into the top 10.<\/p>\n

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