The Washington Capitals earned a gutsy 3-2 win on Monday night over the Edmonton Oilers. They kept that high flying offense in check and the offense was there when it needed to be and generated chances throughout the night.
The Caps tied a season high for shots in a period with 22 in the opening 20 minutes. They didn’t score but had two in the second period, each one to tie the game.
The game winner came in the third period with a goal by Nic Dowd off a sweet pass from Aliaksei Protas on the breakaway.
Here were the top 3 heroes and winners from the game.
#3 Aliaksei Protas
Aliaksei Protas provided the game winning assist. He stared down Oilers net minder Stuart Skinner and could’ve shot the puck. But he very well could’ve been stopped as Skinner made 47 saves on the night.
Instead he found Nic Dowd for the game winner. He was wide open and charged toward the net and it totally faked out Skinner.
Capitals bench boss Peter Laviolette said, “It might have been Pro’s best game as a Washington Capital.”
"Yes, for sure we needed that win. Now it's time to find the consistency to win games and keep it rolling."
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 6, 2022
Aliaksei Protas postgame.#CapsOilers pic.twitter.com/DolDmaeQWE
Other than that Protas was good on defense as he shut down the Oilers top line. He’s only 21 but he used his towering presence throughout the game.