Playing on a line with Alex Ovechkin is a dream for most hockey players. It’s especially true for Ilya Protas, but also a little nerve-racking, given the added pressure of being the center and primary puck distributor for a player he’s idolized.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a huge honor to call Alex my linemate,” Protas said Saturday. “I’m always nervous to play with any of them, but to be with him on the same line, it’s special, and it’s an honor. Try to put my nerves away and focus on just understand that it’s regular game, he’s just the same linemate as everyone. And it’s kind of hard, but I’m going to learn.”
In Washington’s last game, Carbery had Protas between two Russians, Ovechkin and 2022 first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko, with whom Protas spent most of last season on the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The two forwards are building on their established chemistry while learning how to maximize their opportunities alongside Ovechkin.
For Protas, the biggest lesson has been simple: get the puck to Ovechkin in the right spots.
“I mean, you just got to put it on his tape, and special things are going to happen,” Protas said. “I’m just trying to focus on give more puck in the dangerous spot for him because he’s greatest goal scorer and best goal scorer in the league. If you put it in the right spot, something going to happen. It’s special to play with this guy.”
Protas has already seen that lesson pay off. Against the Seattle Kraken last week, Protas picked up a loose puck after his older brother Aliaksei forced a turnover behind Seattle’s net and quickly found Ovechkin alone in the low slot.
The legendary winger made no mistake on the high-danger chance, burying the 930th goal of his career and his first of this season past Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord.
Ilya Protas dishes to Alex Ovechkin for goal against Kraken
The play was so cool to Protas that he admitted he brought home the stick that he used to assist on the goal.
“It’s special,” Protas said.
Protas was on the other end of a fantastic Ovechkin play in Washington’s Saturday afternoon win over the New Jersey Devils.
Ovechkin carried the puck into New Jersey’s zone and laid a perfect aerial pass right onto Protas’s stick blade. Protas then beat Devils netminder Jake Allen high to the glove side for his second career goal and first of this season.
“Yeah, I mean, it was a great pass,” Protas said. “As soon as I kind of saw him looking at me, I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s going to try to make a play.’ And it was a great pass, right to my tape. And, yeah, luckily scored.”
Ilya Protas scores after Alex Ovechkin pass against Devils
Whether Protas keeps his spot next to Ovechkin, with Pierre-Luc Dubois seemingly nearing a return from illness, remains to be seen. However, he seems to be making the most of his first chance to have Ovechkin riding shotgun next to him.
The Capitals and perhaps the new Protas-Ovechkin connection will be back on the ice against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. The game will be Protas’s first-ever against the Kings, while it will be Ovechkin’s 31st.
