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Washington Capitals: The heroics of Devante Smith-Pelly

By Zachary Hawke

LAS VEGAS, VA - JUNE 7:Washington Capitals right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (25) skates with the Stanley Cup after winning Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, VA - JUNE 7:Washington Capitals right wing Devante Smith-Pelly (25) skates with the Stanley Cup after winning Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /
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Washington Capitals fan favorite Devante Smith-Pelly entering a crucial season with a new, one-year contract.

The Washington Capitals scored big-time with Devante Smith-Pelly.

In just one season with the Capitals, Smith-Pelly has become a fan favorite through his tough-as-nails play, do-it-all mentality, and playoff “clutchness”.

An unheralded offseason signing, Smith-Pelly had a solid year. He finished the regular season with 16 points in a career-high 75 games bouncing around lines but playing mostly on the fourth.

It wasn’t his points that made him an awesome fourth-liner, however. He shined brightest when out-muscling players in the corner, blocking shots, breaking up passes or jumping on the penalty kill.

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Never afraid to take a puck to his shins, or worse, Smith-Pelly dives in front of shots and gets pucks out of the zone on the PK. With his limited share of minutes at five on five, he was also reliably fresh when the Caps went man-down.

Smith-Pelly is no stranger to throwing around the body either. With 151 hits at even strength on the season, fans enjoyed some great bone-crushing moments. Caps fans certainly didn’t complain when he nearly put Tomas Tatar over the boards in the Stanley Cup Final.

He’s no slouch in the offensive zone either. Finishing with single-digit goals and assists he was none-the-less consistently heading to the right spots. He will often push the forecheck deep and try to get pucks cycling into scoring areas.

When he’s not initiating the play you can find him harassing defenders near the net, always on the lookout for either a juicy rebound or an opportunity to screen the netminder. At six feet tall, 223 lbs he’s more than equipped for the rigors of net-front life.

In addition to his all-around strong play is the toughest attribute to measure, but one you’ll always know when you see it. Smith-Pelly is clutch. Specifically, playoff clutch.

After posting only seven goals on the season, Smith-Pelly matched that in the playoffs. His newfound scoring helped early. He netted the series clincher against Columbus in Game 6 after getting a jump on the breakout and launching an absolute laser into the top-right corner.

Also, remember when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup? In that series, he had three goals in Games 3,4 and 5. The Game 5 goal came when the Caps were trailing halfway through the third period and required some acrobatics to bury home. Now, that’s clutch.

Next: A long-term look at goalie

While Devante Smith-Pelly is only inked for one more season in Washington he has all the tools to play his way into job security. We saw everything that he’s capable of this past season, particularly in the playoffs. Next, The Caps will want to see that level of play consistently throughout the regular season. If he delivers, this Washington hero could be around for a while.

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