Boyd Off to Strong Start with the Capitals

Travis Boyd entered training camp focused on generating offense while playing responsibly in his own end. But after a strong showing in his first three preseason games, Boyd suffered a lower body injury which forced him to miss 10 regular season games. Boyd was cleared by the Capitals medical staff on Oct. 31 and was assigned to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League for a brief conditioning assignment. The trip to Hershey proved to be beneficial for Boyd, who appeared in two games for the Bears, recording an assist while slowly getting re-acclimated to game speed.

"I think a big thing for me was going down to Hershey and playing those two games to get warmed up and get back into it," Boyd said. "I hadn't played a game in five weeks. There's no other way to simulate a game."

Boyd returned to the Capitals on Nov. 5 against the Edmonton Oilers and recorded two primary assists in his first six minutes. On his first shift, he drove down and shot the puck off goalie Cam Talbot's pad, clearing the ice for an eventual goal by Jakub Vrana. Three minutes later, trapped by three defenders off a turnover, Boyd flipped a pass to a centered Devante Smith-Pelly, who lasered a shot from close range.

"It helped to have some success in our first two shifts on that night, just to get the confidence back," Boyd said. "You see a goal go in right away, on your first shift back in this league, and it makes you feel pretty good moving forward."
Since rejoining the Capitals, head coach Todd Reirden has utilized Boyd primarily on the fourth line. Reirden's been encouraged by Boyd's consistency, who has averaged over eight minutes per game.

"He's getting back into a routine here," Reirden said of Boyd, who played in eight games for the Capitals last year. "His first game he had a ton of energy, was able to create a lot. Their line getting two goals [in his first game back] was big for us. We're [also] trying to ease him into some penalty killing responsibilities."
Boyd's rise through the collegiate ranks and the AHL offered promise for his future in Washington.
After the Capitals drafted Boyd in the sixth-round in 2011, he played four years at the University of Minnesota. His offensive numbers increased every year in college, as he finished his senior season (2014-15) tied for second on the team in points, with 41 (19g, 22a).

In his first season in the AHL, Boyd recorded 53 points (21g, 32a) with Hershey. He increased his season total to 63 points the following year, leading the team in scoring. In 217 career games with Hershey, Boyd has collected 166 points (53g, 113a).
"He's having fun, playing with confidence," said Chandler Stephenson, Boyd's former Bears teammate. "He sees the ice really well and I think his game is well-balanced. That's why he's had success in his first couple games [in D.C.], and in the American Hockey League as well."