Ryan Leonard gets huge praise from Carbery as numbers climb

The last two games tell the story. Leonard scored against Vancouver on Sunday, then buried again versus Seattle on Tuesday, sparking a second period surge. That is the rhythm coaches love.

Zoom out and the early ledger looks solid. Through seven games, Leonard has three goals, including strikes in back to back outings that made him the youngest Capital to do it since 2008. The touches are cleaner, the routes are straighter.

Carbery's approval did not appear out of thin air. All summer the coach outlined a rookie roadmap, praising Leonard's detail and compete, and stressing daily, steady gains. That message has matched the player's habits, shift to shift.

The production tracks with the tape. Leonard wins entries with speed, then arrives on the inside shoulder to keep plays alive. Off the forecheck, he angles sticks, bumps pucks to support, and goes straight to the slot for tips and rebounds.

You can feel the bench confidence growing when Leonard hops over the boards. Teammates look for him in stride now, and the puck follows his legs.

The rookie also passes the coach's honesty test. Carbery has called him a rare type of player for how he hunts pucks and learns quickly, and recent nights back that up. The work rate travels, home or road.

Defensively, the reads are cleaner than in April. He keeps his feet under the puck in the neutral zone, supports low when needed, then explodes into space on exits. Those little details keep him in the top nine and on the ice late.

The finishing touch, though, is confidence. Leonard's release has more lean, and he is not hesitating on touch passes through layers. The line looks faster with him because he plays forward, not sideways.

Here is the context that kicked off tonight's chatter, and the coach's nod says plenty about where this is headed.

If the growth curve holds, Leonard's game gives Washington real north south juice. Bank the habits now, and the goals will keep pace with the trust.