Ilya Protas followed up his NHL debut with what will surely go down as one of the most memorable games of a long career in the NHL.
Skating between his older brother Aliaksei and Tom Wilson, the 19-year-old Protas scored his first NHL goal and recorded his first multi-point game in the Washington Capitals‘ 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, earning 2nd Star honors.
“That was just childhood dreams come true,” Ilya said after the game. “I’m really happy to get the one and get the win today.”
Ilya’s milestone first goal came during a Capitals’ power play with 14:04 remaining in the third period.
Set up in front of the net, Ilya banged home a rebound past Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs following a huge shot from the point by Cole Hutson. Dylan Strome got the secondary assist.
Ilya Protas’s first NHL goal
“Oh, it was unbelievable,” Ilya said on ABC. “Unreal feelings, you know.”
Ilya’s power-play goal came in just his second game in the NHL. Notably, it’s one more than his older brother Aliaksei has (0) in 319 career games.
The game’s greatest goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin, picked up his milestone goal puck from the ice and brought it back to the bench.
“No, I actually didn’t (know that),” Ilya said. “I just was happy. [Ovi] was on the ice when I did that. He came up, gave me a hug. Yeah, that was unreal.”
Alex Ovechkin picks up Ilya Protas’s milestone goal puck
His proud older brother also congratulated him at the bench.
Ilya also registered a pair of assists less than seven minutes apart in the second period. His first apple was a primary assist on his older brother’s 25th goal of the season.
Skating around the net, Ilya sent a perfect cross-crease centering pass to Aliaksei for an easy put-in past Silovs, giving the Capitals a 1-0 lead 1:39 into the second period.
Ilya Protas’s assist on Aliaksei Protas’s 25th goal of the season
The two Belarusian brothers shared a hug after the tally.
Ilya then showed off his incredible near-the-net skills, taking a pass from his brother and deking around a Penguins defender in the slot. Silovs stopped his initial backhanded attempt, but Wilson banged home the rebound past the beleaguered netminder.
Ilya Protas’s assist on Tom Wilson’s 30th goal of the season
Skating on the second line, Ilya now has four points (1g, 3a) in the first two games of his NHL career as the Capitals intensely battle for a playoff spot.
“You know, just in his second game in the National Hockey League, just a bunch of plays he makes tonight, both with and without the puck, not just talking the offensive stuff,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said.
Wilson saluted Ilya’s heroics at the end of the night by pieing him in the face during a postgame interview with ABC’s Leah Hextall as Alex Ovechkin looked on smiling.
Despite so much success early in his NHL career, Ilya admitted he’s still feeling jitters.
“I’ve still been nervous a lot,” Ilya said. “But yeah, I definitely feel a little bit more confident, you know, and just was focusing on my next shift and just kind of simple, simple 200-foot game.”
