Harry Lichtman
The Washington Capitals (40-30-9) bounced back after an abysmal performance on Sunday. This time, they shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs (32-32-14) 4-0 in their home arena on Wednesday.
The Capitals managed to keep their playoff hopes alive with the victory. Though they still need tons of help to actually get in.
The biggest story was Ilya Protas making his NHL debut, skating alongside his brother Aliaksei. The 19-year-old recorded his first NHL point in the game.
Dylan Strome got things going with the first goal in the opening period. Then, Ryan Leonard and Martin Fehervary added two more in the middle frame. Finally, Cole Hutson sealed it with an empty-netter in the third.
Logan Thompson also stepped up in net and stopped all 21 shots for his third shutout this season.
With three games left, the Capitals next have a home-and-home series with the Penguins. The first game will be in Pittsburgh on Saturday, then D.C. on Sunday.
Capitals Analysis
Strome opened the scoring for the Capitals as he recorded a goal at Scotiabank Arena for the first time.
In the opening period, Strome went on a 2-on-1 with Anthony Beauvillier, as he fired a one-timer past Joseph Woll to make it 1-0. The 28-year-old now has 19 goals on the season, and two in the last three games.
The Capitals opened the second period on the penalty kill with Leonard in the box for holding. Soon as the PK expired, the 21-year-old caught a stretch pass from Tom Wilson and sniped one past Woll to make it 2-0.
Leonard now has 18 tallies on the season, and is tied for the fourth-most among rookies. Meanwhile, Wilson extended his point streak to five games, and is only one away from hitting the 60-point mark.
Then, Fehervary attempted a shot that banked off Jake McCabe and in the net to give the Capitals a 3-0 lead. That goal gave the Slovak 100 points for his career.
In his first NHL game, Ilya Protas skated on a line with big brother Aliaksei and Wilson. Protas was utilized early at even strength and on the power play, with his size being a key factor.
Towards the end of the game, Protas recorded his first NHL point with a secondary assist on Hutson’s empty-netter. Older brother Aliaksei had the primary assist.
However, Thompson deserves a lot of credit by not giving up a single goal, starting in 11 of the last 12 games. Since March 14, the 29-year-old has boasted an even-strength save percentage of .924 and overall save percentage of .910.
Capitals Report Card
Team: A+
Much stronger performance this time around against a struggling Leafs team. The Capitals played well to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Ilya Protas: A
Ilya made quite an impression in his NHL debut. He recorded a secondary assist on Hutson’s late empty-netter for his first NHL point and finished with an ice time of 15:37. Additionally, Little Pro led the Capitals in Corsi-for percentage (62.96), shots-for percentage (63.64), expected goals-for percentage (92.01), and scoring chances-for percentage (78.57).
Logan Thompson: A+
Thompson finished with 21 saves for his third shutout this season. Starting in 11 of the last 12 games, he has really stepped up in net to help his team make a late playoff run.
Dylan Strome: A
Strome stepped up in his home province by scoring at Scotiabank Arena for the first time. He also assisted on Fehervary’s goal for a multi-point game. The 28-year-old is now one tally away from his fifth 20-goal campaign.
Martin Fehervary: A
Fehervary also finished with a multi-point game. In fact, the Olympian’s goal in the middle frame gave him 100 career points.
Ryan Leonard: A
Leonard’s second-period tally gives him points in five of his last six outings. The 21-year-old also leads the Capitals in goals (8) since the beginning of March.
