Center Boyd getting comfortable, providing offensive spark for the Capitals:

Washington Capitals center Travis Boyd has seen his offensive productivity flourish in his first full NHL season and in his mind, it’s about time. After years of toiling for the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate, B oydhasfi nally begin to see his game translate at the next level. With 11 points off four goals and seven assists

through 22 games for the Capitals this season, Boyd has not only been a catalyst for the Capitals’ overall success, but has begun to solidify himself as a reliable offensive contributor. Capitals Coach Todd R eirdenp raised Boyd and the fourth-line’s production as “why we stand where we do in the standings right now.” Boyd scored his fourth g oalintheCapita ls’ 3-2 win Sunday against Detroit, off an assist from captain Alex Ovechkin. “I believed in myself a ndIbelievedIc ould come in here and do what I’m doing and it is reassuring for me to put up the points that I have and to reassure myself that I can play here and I belong at this level,” Boyd said Monday. Boyd is currently leading the team - and is eighth in the league - with an average of 3.32 total five-on-five points per 60 minutes of ice

time among players who have skated at least 100 minutes. The seven players above him are Nikita Kucherov, Auston Mat

thews, John Tavares, Sidney Crosby, Viktor Arvidsson, Brayden Point, Mitchell Marner and Max Comtois. “He has the ability to create offensively,” Reirden said Sunday of Boyd. “Sometimes

you just got to get him insituations where you can free him up a little bit and he has the ability to convert on plays ... and that was a huge goal for him, I think, personally and also just massive for our team to get that goal.”