(Caps Outsider)
Michael Latta scored his first career NHL on November 15, 2013. Nearly two years later, a span of nearly 70 games, he scored his second. It wasn’t a moment too soon, as the goal woke up the Caps in the third period as they rallied from a 2-0 deficit before falling in overtime.
“Michael Latta was really a spark plug,” Coach Barry Trotz said after the game, praising his bottom six forwards for getting the two goals the Caps needed to earn a standings point.
“We’ve got a lot of great character in this room,” Latta said. “It shows. We could’ve had a couple more in the third, I feel like. We’ve got a great group in here. We never give up, that’s for sure.”
Latta is one of the semi-regular healthy scratches on the team, falling short of his early-season objective of not being the odd man out. But his play Friday could be a turning point for the 23-year-old.
The Caps have often relied on an unsung hero over the years to get something done when the team is otherwise sleep-walking. This role is almost always up for grabs, especially in low-scoring games when the top lines aren’t producing. Think of guys like Matt Bradley and Matt Hendricks and how many times they dropped the gloves, bloodied their face, created something out of nothing and knocked in a dirty goal to get the team going. That’s who Latta needs to be.
Latta played Friday the way he needs to play regularly to secure a permanent spot in the lineup, but anything short of that and he could be back in the press box.
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