With Matt Roy knocked out of the lineup due to injury in the Capitals’ first game of the season, reserve defenseman Dylan McIlrath was the next man up, jumping onto the second pairing with Martin Fehervary.
Through five games — all Capitals victories — McIlrath’s play has stabilized Washington’s D corps. With McIlrath on the ice at five-on-five, the Caps have posted a 57.9 expected goals percentage and outscored their opponents 3 to 2. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound rearguard has also given life to the team in other ways — such as a minute-long epic heavyweight fight with Nic Deslauriers and an intense reading of the starting lineup inside the locker room.
Wednesday, during the Washington Capitals’ 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, McIlrath notched his first multi-point game of his NHL career at age 32. His prettiest offensive play — a primary assist on a Taylor Raddysh goal where he sent the forward an indirect shot for a redirect — got the Capitals on the board four minutes and 50 seconds into the game.
He later added a secondary assist on Connor McMichael’s second goal of the night — a breakaway tally — that put the Capitals up 3-0.
After the game, McIlrath, a 2010 10th overall pick by the New York Rangers, was given the honor of being TNT’s postgame interview. The veteran of only 80 career NHL games was heartfelt and open about his long road back to the NHL.
“It’s been quite the journey, that’s for sure,” McIlrath said. “Obviously, a lot of ups and downs when you get drafted to the Rangers, high pick. You kind of have a vision of what your career, you think, should be. And then that wasn’t the case. And I just always had a belief in myself. I mean, there were days, long years in the American League, where you have your doubts. But I just kept believing that I could play at this level at some point in my career. And that’s what kept me motivated.”
He added, “I kept developing. I came as a free agent, hoping to make the Caps, but obviously knew my career had been mainly in the American League, and then just excited to go to Hershey. Playing against them in my younger years, they always had a packed building and always tried to have good teams. And that’s what really drew me to go there. And then they really built a good culture there. We wanted to win every year. And we were fortunate enough to win two Calders. And that was just a big part of me, why I’m here today, is those days in Hershey. And I credit a lot to my time there and the people who helped me along the way.”
McIlrath, who captained the Hershey Bears the last two seasons, was admittedly blown away by support he’s received, specifically from Alex Ovechkin.
“It really hasn’t sunk in that I get to sit beside him in the locker room and he’s a living legend,” McIlrath said. “And he’s just, he’s been so kind to me over the last few years. It’s just wild that he knows who I am, for one, and to be his teammate, it’s surreal.”
Ovechkin scored his 855th career goal in the game via an empty-net tally, moving him to within 39 goals of Wayne Gretzky’s record mark of 894.
“Everyone on the bench, when the net was empty there, we were all just eyes locked on Ovi, iso-camming him, making sure he was getting the chance,” McIlrath said. “Every power play, you jump out of your seat, hoping he gets his shot through. It’s remarkable.”
Ovechkin isn’t the only teammate who’s been cheering McIlrath along either.
