Mantha Benched For Capitals In Final 14:38 Of Third, OT vs. Sabres

WASHINGTON — In the third period of Wednesday's must-win showdown between the Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres, Anthony Mantha found himself watching the rest of regulation and overtime from the bench, as head coach Peter Laviolette shuffled the lines and elected to hold No. 39 out of the mix.

Mantha did not skate for the final 14:38 minutes of regulation, nor did he get any ice time in the five-minute 3-on-3 overtime period. His team ultimately rallied back from 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to force extra time and secure a 5-4 victory in the shootout. He did not appear to suffer an injury in a game that saw Nick Jensen go down in the third, while Rasmus Sandin also suffered a major scare in the second period.

The 28-year-old's last shift came on the Sabres' fourth goal of the game. He was in the defensive zone and failed to pick up Zemgus Girgensons in the slot, and the forward made them pay as he picked up a past behind the net and buried it to put Buffalo back up by two. Mantha had been skating on the second line with Nicklas Backstrom and Craig Smith.

After that, Mantha was not deployed again for the rest of the night, as Laviolette switched up the combinations. Craig Smith and Nicklas Backstrom ended up operating with Conor Sheary and Alex Ovechkin alternating in No. 39's spot while he looked on from the bench. The two also played on the top line with Dylan Strome.

In the end, Mantha logged the least amount of ice time on the team, skating just 9:58 minutes. The Quebec native failed to get a shot on goal and had just one hit and a +/- of minus-1, and he got just 13 shifts.

Back on Saturday, Mantha had a moment of confidence as he had a goal and assist in a 5-1 win over the New York Islanders, which finally ended a 19-game goal drought and lengthy point drought. He has 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points through 61 games this season.