Inside The Success Of The McMichael-Sourdif-Leonard Line: 'Speed, Skill & Hockey IQ'

Amid injuries up front and the Washington Capitals needing a spark, coach Spencer Carbery got the blender out and made new lines. He landed on a combination of Connor McMichael, Justin Sourdif and Ryan Leonard — and he ended up striking gold with it.'

Over the last three games, the "MLS" line has driven the offense, combining for 16 points and boasting a goals-for percentage of 75 percent.

Together, that combination al;so has a shots-for percentage of 53.33 percent, and an expected goals-for percentage of 59.3, which ranks first among all the team's possible line combinations at the moment. 

"Just a good combination of speed, skill, hockey IQ," McMichael put it simply.

It's not just a numbers game, though; that line has jump in its step, with McMichael's playmaking, Sourdif's finesse and Leonard's offensive instincts combining to give Washington a speedy, shifty line that can make an impact every time its on the ice.

And, for Sourdif, a big reason for its success so far has been the personnel.

"Just talking to each other after every shift, we're just always encouraging each other. You know, 'Nice play, let's keep it simple' and just helping each other every shift out there," Sourdif said. "It just made it really easy (to play together)."

Diving deeper into what's made that line a top threat, coach Spencer Carbery cited the trio's ability to feed off one another.

Obviously, Sourdif's recent surge in production — he has 10 points in his last six games — and two-way play has been a big help, as has his skating and ability to drive play and control the puck while also matching up against other team's top lines.

"He's earned the opportunity that he's getting with how he's played and how he's performed. It wasn't handed to him early in the season. Sometimes, circumstance provides opportunity for young players, and then the opportunity is on them to take advantage of that," Carbery said. "That's exactly what he's done... he's been doing a lot of heavy lifting, and he's playing at a real high level."

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Carbery also gave a lot of credit to McMichael, who seems to be finding his game after a slower start to the season.

"Mikey is a big key to that line. Sourdy's playing at a high level, but Mikey... he's looked back, he looks like old Mikey," Carbery said. "He's now controlling the puck, making good decisions, speed is there, explosiveness is there, good with his details when we don't have the puck."

"He's so fast and so smart," Leonard added of his opposite winger. "He's so much fun to play with. He's loose on the bench and so is Sourdy."

And, when it comes to Leonard, who ranks fourth in scoring among rookies this season, it's his knack for the net and scoring prowess that puts the cherry on top of a consistent, reliable line combination for D.C.

"Leno to complement that, he just has great offensive instincts, ability to keep pucks alive. Grab middle ice when it's available, do some things that now give those two guys a little bit of that offensive punch where he's going to keep a lot of plays alive," Carbery said.

"He's so smart, he can score, he can pass and he plays physical," Sourdif said of his linemate. "He does everything."

As the Capitals head to Nashville to take on the Predators on Sunday and continue to wait for Tom Wilson to return to the lineup, they'll keep that combination in tact and look for it to continue providing a spark and consistency through 60.

And, given how its immediately clicked, that should be easy enough.

"(We're) playing with a ton of confidence," Leonard said, adding, "A lot of fun."