Capitals Soar Past Ducks 7-4 with Protas Hat Trick

ANAHEIM, California — The Washington Capitals extended their winning streak to five games with a 7-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Tuesday. This crucial victory showcased the Capitals’ dominance, improving their season record to 43-14-8.

Aliaksei Protas highlighted the game with the first hat trick of his NHL career, while teammates Alex Ovechkin and Pierre-Luc Dubois contributed significantly with three points each. Ovechkin notched three assists, remaining nine goals shy of passing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record of 894 goals.

Logan Thompson, in goal for the Capitals, made 26 saves, helping to maintain the team’s momentum against the Ducks, who dropped to 28-29-7 on the season. Pavel Mintyukov and Frank Vatrano each scored a goal and an assist for Anaheim, as Jacob Trouba also found the net.

The scoring was frenetic, and the game held strong competitive energy throughout. Dylan Strome opened the scoring for Washington at 2:07 into the first period. Anaheim quickly responded, with Trouba tying it at 1-1 just 4:51 later. Helleson put the Ducks ahead 2-1 shortly after before Protas tied the game again at 2-2 before the end of the first period.

“We did a great job of bouncing back after falling behind,” Protas said. “Everyone contributed, and we found a way to keep the pressure on them.”

Washington regained control in the second period, with a goal from Dubois giving them a 3-2 lead at 5:19. The game remained tight, with Anaheim’s Mintyukov tying it once more at 3-3 in the third period. Vatrano’s goal at 6:18 briefly leveled the game at 4-4.

However, the Capitals struck back with Nic Dowd’s critical goal at 13:23 of the third period, which proved to be the game-winner. Beauvillier followed with a breakaway goal with just 1:36 remaining, sealing the victory before Protas sealed his hat trick with an empty-netter.

Despite the loss, Ducks coach Dallas Eakins noted the fight his team showed, stating, “Our younger players are gaining valuable experience and the effort has been there. We will take this momentum into our next game.”

Washington maintained a comfortable lead at the top of the Metropolitan Division, sitting 12 points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes. With games winding down in the season, their next challenge awaits on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings.

“We just need to keep playing our game and building off of this success,” Ovechkin said postgame. “It’s important for us to carry this energy into our next match.”

The highly skilled and competitive nature of the game kept fans on the edge of their seats, promising an exciting road ahead for both teams as the playoffs approach.