ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Washington Capitals showcased a strong offensive performance, securing a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, powered by Aliaksei Protas’s first career NHL hat trick. Alex Ovechkin and Pierre-Luc Dubois were instrumental, each contributing three points, as the Capitals extended their winning streak to five games.
The game remained evenly matched at 4-4 until the Capitals surged ahead with three goals in the final 6:35 of play. Nic Dowd netted the decisive goal at the 13:25 mark. Anthony Beauvillier added insurance with just 1:36 left on the clock before Protas sealed his hat trick with an empty-net goal in the last 17 seconds.
Even though Alex Ovechkin didn’t score, he played a crucial role with three assists, leaving him nine goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record of 894. Dubois made his presence felt by scoring once and assisting twice. Dylan Strome also contributed a goal, and Logan Thompson made 25 saves. Both Tom Wilson and Brandon Duhaime provided two assists.
On the Ducks’ side, Frank Vatrano, Drew Helleson, and Pavel Mintyukov each contributed a goal and an assist. Jacob Trouba joined the scorers, breaking a 94-game goal drought with his first goal for the Ducks. Lukas Dostal was busy in net, making 36 saves.
Key insights include Washington’s knack for high-scoring games, achieving seven goals in a game for the sixth time this season, leading the league. Meanwhile, Anaheim’s rookie Sam Colangelo saw his four-game goal streak end.
A noteworthy moment came when Jacob Trouba tied the game at 1-1 early in the first period, marking his first goal since January 2024 and his debut goal with the Ducks. Another highlight was Leo Carlsson’s contribution during his bobblehead night; his assist on Helleson’s goal was enough to push him past Trevor Zegras for the third most points by a Ducks player aged 20 or younger. Carlsson now boasts 58 points (26 goals, 32 assists) over 81 games.
Looking ahead, the Capitals will remain in Southern California, facing off against Los Angeles on Thursday. The Ducks, on the other hand, are set to play in Utah on Wednesday.
