The Washington Capitals have exploded offensively to start the 2024-25 season, and a lot of that success has come on the backs of their first line. Spencer Carbery put Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and Aliaksei Protas together as a unit after Washington dropped its season-opening matchup with the New Jersey Devils.
Ovechkin, the team’s captain, brought his two line-mates in for a film study of their shifts against the Vegas Golden Knights to try and spark a connection between the three. All they have done since is fill up the net.
“We just watched the whole game and talked about where we can find each other on the ice and where we can be more open,” Strome said Tuesday. “After the third or fourth game, it’s kind of been clicking a lot better.
“You know when guys know how to score. He’s got 1,600 points or something like that in his career, so I think any time when he speaks up about where we need to be offensively and how we can be better, obviously we’re going to listen.”
Protas added, “It was helpful because we looked at it after the first couple games just to kind of see it from the stands, I would say, from the camera. It’s been really helpful. After this, we just knew what we have to do. After that, we started to know each other a little bit more, and it helped for sure.”
Since coach Ovi sat Strome and Protas down, their line ranks tied for third in the NHL in goals-for percentage (77%). Washington has outscored their opposition 10-3 with the trio on the ice, and their 6.4 goals-for per 60 minutes is tops in the league.
“That’s the leadership that our guys – they’re just invested,” Carbery said. “That’s probably the best way I can put it. They’re just so invested in winning games and helping our team by an means necessary…That’s just, to me, our captain, leadership 101 right there.”
Top 5 high-scoring lines
| Lines | Goals for | Time on ice |
|---|---|---|
| Barbashev-Eichel-Stone (VGK) | 13 | 144.5 |
| Point-Guentzel-Kucherov (TBL) | 12 | 138 |
| Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello (MIN) | 10 | 135.7 |
| Ovechkin-Strome-Protas (WSH) | 10 | 93.7 |
| Cuylle-Chytil-Kakko (NYR) | 9 | 100.8 |
“We’re connecting, playing for each other, and that’s the most important thing,” Ovechkin said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re scoring goals or make an assist, you just have to do the same thing over and over again.”
While Protas’s emergence as a true, top-six forward this season has undoubtedly bolstered the line, it’s the connection between Strome and Ovechkin that has jumped off the page 11 games into the season. The NHL recognized the two as the league’s top “Dynamic Duo” last week after they combined for 17 points (6g, 11a) in four games, more than any other duo in the league.
Strome says the formula is simple: Get the guy challenging Wayne Gretzky for the all-time goals record the puck.
“You’ve got to find a way to get him the puck when he’s open,” Strome said. “When a guy’s hot, you want to get him the puck, so my tendency definitely is to pass first. I shot one on the 2-on-1 two games ago. It hit the post. And then he found me for an open net. Nice to put one of those in. But yeah, I think just got to play with your instincts. If your instincts are the guy that has 860 goals is open, you’re probably going to want to pass the puck to him.”
Ovechkin, named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday, has seven goals through 11 games. That production rate puts the 39-year-old on pace for a historic 52-goal season that would see him blow past Gretzky for the record. As Strome points out, he matches his goal output with seven assists, setting his linemates up for several tap-ins.
“It’s fun to play with him, to just see his excitement every time he goes on the ice and scores goals,” Protas said. “You want to help him more with that, want to be with him and get the energy out of it because he’s a phenomenal player, for sure. He’s chasing something special right now, and for sure, it’s great to be with him and be a part of it.”
The hot start directly contradicts how Ovechkin started the 2023-24 campaign. He did not score his seventh goal last season until his 34th game on December 30.
Ovechkin joked about Strome’s early passing prowess when asked what’s fueling such the massive difference.
“Stromer find me and give me the puck,” Ovechkin said. “But I think overall our line play better, we know the system, because last year Carbs came, different system, we have to figure out we have to play.
“I think we just enjoy it. You can see when ‘Pro’ is on the line, he’s big, he’s strong, he can move the puck, he skates, and when he’s on his game, it’s always fun to play. So, a big part of it is for [Strome], me and ‘Pro’, if something happens with someone, we just have to keep working harder to help him out.”
