Saturday afternoon, the Capitals rookies and prospects played their first game in the Prospect Showcase in Estero, FL.
While the squad dropped the game 5-4 to the Nashville Predators, 2018 first-round pick Alex Alexeyev was impressive.
The affable defenseman got in his third career fight and his first as an NHL player.
Full game highlights
Alexeyev dropped the gloves with Mathieu Olivier in the Caps D zone after the Preds prospect rammed his defense partner Connor Hobbs into the glass. Alexeyev got a few jabs in, but was outmuscled and wrestled to the ice.
He was able to punch Olivier’s helmet off.
“When people are hitting my partner and it’s dirty, I should protect him and stand up for him. So there is no questions I should do it,” Alexeyev said to the Capitals’ Mike Vogel.
The Russian defenseman has fought two times previously. Both bouts occurred in the WHL last season.
Alexeyev also had a gorgeous assist on a cross-ice feed to Maximillian Kammerer.
Stanley Cup champion forward Shane Gersich also scored a beautiful one-time goal. Caps prospects Lucas Johansen and Garrett Pilon went tic-tac-toe to feed Gersich.
After the game, both teams went to a shootout which the Capitals won. Alexeyev waited out Niclas Westerholm and ripped a shot to the bottom left corner.
The Capitals next game will be against Tampa Bay on Monday.
The team also posted its own video recap of the game.
Familiar faces. Fresh blood. See all the Game 1 action of the #ProspectShowcase in Estero, Florida #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/lfIqS3oCX0
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) September 9, 2018
Ian Oland also contributed to this article.
