The Washington Capitals begin the month of November with a two game road test down in the Sunshine State. First up is the Tampa Bay Lightning. On Thursday they’ll face the Florida Panthers. The Caps will have a challenging November with 10 of their 15 contests on the road. But it’s nothing they can’t handle.
According to Mike Vogel’s game preview on WashingtonCaps.com, the Caps are 159-82-28 on the road since the start of the 2014-15 season. Best road record in the NHL and no other team comes close. That’s a points percentage of .643.
Here are the top 3 players to watch tonight, with the first one being a possibility but a more likely probability:
#3 Aliaksei Protas
Prior to the Caps morning skate in Tampa, which was an optional, the team recalled Aliaksei Protas from the Hershey Bears. They also placed Nic Dowd on injured reserve. It looks like Protas could make his NHL debut tonight. Key word: could.
Aliaksei Protas speaks with the media after being called up from Hershey earlier today.#CapsBolts | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/fUV5XDsflt
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 1, 2021
Protas was on the ice for the optional skate but Laviolette wouldn’t commit to whether or not he was in the lineup for tonight’s game. Stay tuned! Protas has a nickname called “The Viper” and is six foot six and 225 pounds. He’s another big dude and with these injuries the Caps need next man up now more than ever.