The Washington Capitals’ playoff push just hit a major speed bump. Rising star Aliaksei Protas is out week-to-week with a foot injury after a collision in Friday’s game against Chicago.
It’s terrible timing for the Caps, who are sitting pretty at the top of their division.
Protas has been nothing short of amazing this season. The 24-year-old giant – he stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 225 pounds – has put up numbers that nobody saw coming.
He’s scored 30 goals and racked up 66 points this year. That’s a massive jump for a guy who only had 53 points total in his first 169 NHL games.
What’s really impressive? He’s done almost all of his damage at even strength. Only one of his points came on the power play, and his 60 even-strength points put him right up there with superstar Mitch Marner for eighth in the league.
The Capitals aren’t completely out of options, though.
Anthony Beauvillier will step back into the lineup to help fill the gap. The 27-year-old came over from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline and has already shown he can contribute, scoring twice in his 12 games with Washington.
“He’s like a Swiss army knife for us,” head coach Spencer Carbery said before Sunday’s game against the Islanders. “We can use him anywhere in the lineup, and he’s been great in the locker room.”
Beauvillier got his chance right away, playing on the fourth line with Brandon Duhaime and Nic Dowd. He logged nearly 13 minutes of ice time in what turned out to be a 4-1 loss to the Islanders.
While he’s a solid replacement, there’s no denying that losing Protas is a big blow for a team with serious playoff ambitions. His breakout season has been a huge part of Washington’s success, and they’ll need to find a way to keep winning without him.
