WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Capitals are walking wounded. They’ve gone without star centerman Pierre-Luc Dubois for much of the season, but the lineup has gotten even thinner to start 2026: Tom Wilson went down with a lower-body injury early in the month, Jakob Chychrun has been sick for two games, and even Justin Sourdif, who has stepped up at center since Dubois got hurt, is missing time after taking a puck to the face.
In the absence of so many star players, the Capitals have looked for help in unlikely places, and and Ethen Frank played the hero on Tuesday night. Frank, already riding a two-game goal streak coming into the night, scored both of Washington’s regulation goals to force overtime against the Montreal Canadiens, setting off a third-period comeback effort that culminated with a Connor McMichael overtime-winner.
“With some high-end guys out right now, it’s huge when guys like that can step up,” McMichael said of Frank postgame. “And Franky over the last probably month, I’d say he’s really took it to his own. He’s really stepped up, and he’s making huge plays at key moments.”
Frank got his first of the night five minutes into the third, tipping in a shot from defenseman Matt Roy to break Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault’s shutout bid.
With less than two minutes to go in regulation, Frank evened the score on another deflection, this time redirecting a puck from Rasmus Sandin in the slot.
The pair of goals gave Frank his first 10-goal NHL season, and he’s scored four times in his last three games.
“(I’m) just feeling good,” he said of his hot streak postgame. “There’s good energy around the room. Whether it’s win or lose, this group is amazing. No matter what, it’s a new day every day, so it’s just exciting to come to the rink and see what’s in store.”
Frank has taken a long road to the NHL, signing an amateur try-out deal with the AHL’s Hershey Bears in 2022 before slowly working his way up organizational depth chart. He measures just 5’11” and 188 pounds — hardly the norm for an NHL player — but his time in Hershey proved he had offensive potential, and he clocked speeds rarely seen even at the NHL level.
After making his NHL debut last winter, he started the 2025-26 season on the outside looking in, one of the team’s last cuts at training camp. But once the Capitals called him up to replace injured players, he became an integral part of Washington’s roster.
“You can see him getting more comfortable in this league,” said Logan Thompson. “You hear about how fast he was in the American League and how dominant he was. Some players just need time, and I think he’s really come into to his own. It’s really impressive.”
Now 60 games into his NHL career, he’s making valuable contributions to a Capitals roster that desperately needs them.
“[Tonight was] just another example of Franky, how far he’s come in his career in the National Hockey League, of being able to legitimately take over a game at this level,” said head coach Spencer Carbery. “Which is just amazing, his progression, and to be able to play at the level that he’s playing at. It’s not going to be every night like that, but he was, to me, the best player on the ice tonight.”
Beyond the flashier elements of his game, Frank’s teammates consistently praised his work ethic: four players and head coach Spencer Carbery all brought it up independently when speaking to reporters Tuesday night.
“He’s a guy that he shows up first every morning to practice and games, and he’s always working his bag off,” said Matt Roy.
“It’s weird, this league. Once you once you put your head down and work, it seems like the puck starts to find you,” remarked Connor McMichael, who has known Frank since their shared time in Hershey.
That sustained drive for improvement, to head coach Spencer Carbery, is what has turned Frank from a temporary stopgap to a fixture on the team, even making him a viable linemate for Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome.
“It’s what separates him from normal NHL players, is his speed and his ability to shoot the puck and score. The other stuff, though, is what he has worked tirelessly on to make sure that he can earn a spot in the lineup every single night. He can be reliable. He can be strong on the puck. He can win wall battles. He can be aware and shoulder check. All that stuff, he has worked tirelessly on.
“And every single day he works with Kenny (skills coach Kenny McCudden) and wants to see film, and wants to constantly push himself so that the Ethen Frank two years ago, that maybe struggled a little bit with the little things inside of an NHL game, now I don’t even notice. Wall play? Spot on, he’s dialed in. Coverage in the defensive zone? Spot on, he’s dialed in. All those things, being able to handle pressure and a big defenseman barreling down, actually he’s initiating contact. So those are the little things that go unnoticed that allow him to play on the first line with Stromer and O.”
Frank himself has hardly let the year sink in. He’s come a long way from the kid who grew up on roller skates, not ice, or the 24-year-old looking for a shot in the minors. What he does know, however, is that he’s ready for more.
“It’s meant a lot,” he said. “It’s been quite a ride. I don’t even know if I could find the words to describe it. It’s been pretty chaotic, but it’s been a lot of fun, for sure. It’s a good start to my (NHL career), and I’m trying to keep taking steps forward every day.”
