Capitals' AHL affiliate Hershey Bears teddy bear toss goal. The Washington Capitals are well aware of just how important John Carlson is to their foundation, and the numbers spoke to that again on Monday as he made history once again for the franchise. Carlson recorded two assists in Monday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/takes/washington-capitals-takeaways-buffalo-sabres-1625] to reach 700 career points. He's already the Capitals' franchise leader in goals, assists and points among defensemen, and he's the 31st blueliner in NHL history to reach that milestone. "It seems like it took a while, but it's a big accomplishment, I think, personally," Carlson said. "I've been lucky enough to play on a great team my whole career with fantastic players, and I think I couldn't have dreamt of it as a kid, so pretty special." Since 2017-18, John Carlson ranks eighth among all NHL skaters in average ice time per game, logging 24:34 minutes per night. His offensive prowess is his biggest asset, as he's able to make plays happen, move the puck efficiently and even take matters into his own hands. In his career, he's totalled over 23,000 minutes of ice time [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/features/washington-capitals-john-carlson-1000-nhl-games-ice-time] and has been relied upon to take on multiple roles, help shut things down and control the tempo of the game. Beyond that, he's a vocal leader and a key part of the room. His teammates took time to congratulate him postgame and on social media, and Tom Wilson spoke at length about his impact over the years for D.C. "He's a guy that puts his head down and goes to work and never, 'Woe is me,'" Wilson said. "He's just been a horse for us for so long and a leader in this room. Pretty impressive career, what he's been able to put together and I know everyone in this room looks up to him. "He's never a guy to announce anything, so I'm happy for him... Johnny's been a guy in Washington for a long time that's next level. He's a heck of a player, so he's gonna keep going." The Capitals will honor defenseman John Carlson for hitting 700 career points in a pregame ceremony prior ahead of their Feb. 9 game against Utah Hockey Club.
