Labeling it a “pretty simple” style of play, Tim Gleason brought up his willingness to block shots Sunday evening as an example of the type of defenseman the Washington Capitals were getting.
He appeared to prove his point eight and a half minutes into the first period of his first game, when he laid out to block a slap shot by Toronto Maple Leafs center Leo Komarov and slowly got off the ice cradling his left arm.
“To be honest, I was trying to get out of the way because that was coming towards my teeth,” Gleason said later, after the Capitals defeated Toronto, 4-0. “But I got a piece of it, and that’s better than not getting a piece of it, I guess.”
Gleason’s debut came the day after he was acquired via trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, and, paired with Mike Green, the defenseman saw 18:34 of ice time, took two shots, dished out three hits, was credited for two takeaways … and blocked the shot.
“You talk about making an impact for your teammates right there, he’s in,” coach Barry Trotz said. “I thought as the game went on, he had a really good stick. He read, and he killed a couple of plays early in the neutral zone just with good reads. That’s what a veteran guy does, you know?”
Gleason received a crash course in the specifics of the Capitals defense on Sunday, and also was given a heads-up that he could join the penalty kill unit — which he did for 46 seconds in the second period.
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Having played for Carolina for the better part of a decade, he was familiar with facing Alex Ovechkin. He had a slightly different view on Sunday, watching Ovechkin score two goals — the first just 33 seconds into the game — to spur the Capitals’ victory.
“I probably said at least five or six times, ’My God, I’m lucky to be on this team,’” Gleason said. “I’ve watched him for so long, and it’s always the other way around. He’s a heck of a player, and it’s great to have him — or, play with him, I should say.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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