The Washington Capitals have come a long way since demoting their top prospect midseason and giving Craig Smith a regular lineup spot.
On Monday, the Capitals iced one of its youngest lineups this season as Evgeny Kuznetsov, TJ Oshie, Sonny Milano, and Nic Dowd were all unavailable. The result was the Caps’ most offensive (goals! not insulting) night of the season, defeating the Ottawa Senators 6-3.
What was even more impressive is if you count goals just from players from the Hershey Bears’ 2023 Calder Cup championship team, the Capitals would have still won 4-3. And oh yeah, the Senators came into the night as one of the hottest teams in the NHL, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
Just doing our part 🫡 https://t.co/5RLGP3oiWH pic.twitter.com/rWhQdRDFLI
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 27, 2024
So who had the biggest impacts?
Hendrix Lapierre, the author of Hershey’s game-tying goal in Game Seven of the Calder Cup Finals, scored twice, notching his first multi-goal game of his young career. Lapierre’s tallies came 8:57 apart in the second period, putting the game fully out of reach.
His first goal came on a crease-crashing, redirect in front of the net.
His second of the night came courtesy of a beautiful passing play with fellow French Canadian, Anthony Mantha, on a two-on-one.
Aliaksei Protas, Hershey’s third-leading point scorer (13 points) in the Calder Cup run, started the game’s scoring and also led the Capitals in points (3).
And finally Beck Malenstyn, a member of Hershey’s best and most consistent line during last year’s playoff run, the fourth line, scored the Capitals’ game-winning goal and assisted on Lapierre’s first tally of the evening, giving him his second multi-point game of the season.
“I know what those guys can do, the guys that played in Hershey, very talented, very hardworking,” Lapierre said after the game. “For me personally, there was never a doubt that the guys that played in Hershey could accomplish great things here and help the team win. So I’m super happy to see everyone come together and contribute. If they need us to step up–or whatever it is–we’re going to be there. We’re going to be ready.”
#CAPSWIN pic.twitter.com/gQtjPjtDjO
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 27, 2024
Lapierre, Protas, and Malenstyn were three of five Bears’ Calder Cup-winning forwards that suited up in the lineup that also included Connor McMichael (2 assists) and Michael Sgarbossa (1 assist). The five players combined to post 10 points on the evening total: 4 goals and 6 assists. Protas (1g, 2a) was the First Star of the Night.
#CapsSens 3 ⭐️’s of the game
⭐️: Aliaksei Protas
⭐️⭐️: Hendrix Lapierre
⭐️⭐️⭐️: John Carlson#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/SkukCRizYE— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 27, 2024
“Pro was winning puck battles all night,” McMichael said to Capitals Radio. “I think his biggest attribute here is finding guys around the ice. To be honest, he should have had a couple more assists tonight. He did a hell of a job.”
Added Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, “Pro I thought you were f***ing outstanding tonight.”
F***ing outstanding, indeed.
