The Washington Capitals and Seattle Kraken both are coming off a win entering their game Sunday afternoon in the nation’s capital.
Washington has answered a three-game losing streak with three straight victories, including Friday night’s 5-2 home win over the Detroit Red Wings.
The Kraken, in turn, skated to a 4-1 victory over the host Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon.
Washington rallied from a 2-1 deficit by scoring four goals in the third period. Aliaksei Protas collected two goals and one assist in the third period on Friday.
“It’s a pretty nice boost for our confidence moving forward,” he said. “I think we had a good second period. I think we had many good chances to tie the game, but it wasn’t there. In the third finally we broke it down and got a big win for us.”
Protas has 25 goals (along with 29 assists for 54 points) in 63 games this season after only six goals in 78 games in 2023-24.
“You can’t even fathom that that player had (just) six goals (last season),” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “It’s a testament to the work that he’s put in to just continue to get better and better and better.”
Tom Wilson added a goal and an assist on Friday while Taylor Raddysh and defenseman Jakob Chychrun also scored a goal.
Captain Alex Ovechkin remains 10 goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s career record of 894. Ovechkin has 32 goals to go with 17 assists for 49 points this season. He is one point shy from becoming the 11th player to reach 1,600 points in his NHL career.
Matty Beniers collected a goal and an assist for Seattle on Saturday, and former Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer got his first win since Dec. 30. It was the Kraken’s second win in the last six games (2-4-0).
The Kraken trailed 1-0 after the first period, but Tye Kartye, Beniers and former Capital Chandler Stephenson (short-handed) scored in the second period. Beniers’ and Stephenson’s goals came in the final 1:03 of the period.
Defenseman Brandon Montour added a goal in the third, and Grubauer stopped 23 shots. He was placed on waivers on Jan. 29 and sent to Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League.
“I haven’t played in a long time in this league, so it’s definitely a different pace, different game up here than it is down there,” Grubauer said. “But guys helped me out a ton, blocked a lot of shots (15). Happy to be back, happy to get the win.”
Kartye’s goal was his first since Dec. 5. It was his first NHL game since Feb. 8. He was recalled from a three-game conditioning stint at Coachella Valley on Thursday.
“Obviously, played a couple games in Coachella, so that was good,” Kartye said. “Coming back, was just hoping to help the team out. … I don’t think I was picking a certain spot [on the goal]. I think just trying to get pucks on net there. It was a nice screen, and lucky it went in.”
The Kraken held the Flyers to four shots on goal in the third period.
–Field Level Media
