Top 3 Capitals studs against Blue Jackets

The Washington Capitals took care of business on Saturday night in a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Hockey Fights Cancer Night at Capital One Arena. The Caps improved their record to 9-4-2 with 20 points to remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Right now they’re tied with the Carolina Hurricanes with 20 points while five points behind the first place New York Rangers.

Here are the top 3 studs from last night’s win:

#3 Alex Ovechkin

It looks like Alex Ovechkin is finally starting to wake up after a slow start to the season. He scored last night for his fifth goal of the season and 827th of his career to put him at 67 goals away from tying Wayne Gretzky. He has three goals in his last three games thanks to two goals last Saturday in their win over the New York Islanders. He also has four points in his last four games thanks to an assist in a win the night before that over the New Jersey Devils.

Ovechkin is now three points shy of 1,500 career points. That’s 12 points this season and seven assists to go along with his five goals. If Ovechkin can score or assists twice and add one in the other category, he reaches that mark on Wednesday night.

#2 Aliaksei Protas

Aliaksei Protas had a monster game with three points. That’s a goal and two assists and another young buck did the same thing which we’ll cover on the next slide. Protas first assist came on a rebound off the goalie pads before he set up Sonny Milano for the Caps first goal of the night. That assist was primary.

The second assist came on Hendrix Lapierre’s breakaway goal and it was a secondary assist. That was the Caps final goal which was needed to put them over the edge.

Protas goal came before Ovechkin’s. It was a nice play in a give n go going down the ice. The play was set up by Trevor van Riemsdyk. Protas shot went below the cross bar and into the net. It was his second goal of the season.

The goal was Protas second goal of the period. It was his second multi point game of the season and the fifth of his career. It also marked his first career three point game.

Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said this on the Milano, Lapierre, Protas line:

“We did some good things but we still weren’t breaking through. Then that line takes over and scores and gets some life in the building, life in our group. Then backs it up again and again. They played 10 minutes and scored 3 goals.”