Aliaksei Protas appears to be on the brink of jumping into the Capitals’ playoff lineup.
The 25-year-old forward was back on the ice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex working with skills coach Kenny McCudden on Thursday. After Protas completed another day of skating, not wearing a non-contact sweater, head coach Spencer Carbery revealed that he’ll be with the team when they head up to the Bell Centre for two games to end this week.
“Aliaksei Protas is traveling on the trip,” Carbery said.
Protas’s return progress has really ramped up this week, and he looked unimpeded by his injury, a skate cut to his left foot, as McCudden put him through some board-work drills on Thursday. Capitals superfan Charlie McManus posted video of the action.
Protas has not played in a game since April 4 against the Chicago Blackhawks when he suffered the injury, missing the final six games of the regular season and the first two games of the postseason. He still managed a career-best campaign despite missing extended time in April, recording 66 points (30g, 36a) in 76 games for the Capitals.
Anthony Beauvillier replaced Protas on the Capitals’ top line with Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome against the Canadiens and has been arguably the team’s best skater to start the series. Beauvillier has three points (1g, 2a) and set up the game-winning goals in both victories at Capital One Arena.
The Capitals’ first skate after their Game 2 win on Wednesday night was limited to the club’s scratches ahead of their trip up to Montreal. Protas made his way to the team’s plane carrying Alex Ovechkin’s typical Subway sub and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos lunch.
Game 3 and Game 4 will occur at the Bell Centre, with Friday set for a 7:00 pm puck drop and Sunday a little earlier at 6:30 pm. The Capitals will only return home to DC for Game 5 in the series if they lose one or both games across the Canadian border.
