Feelin’ Massachusetts – Following the first off day of training camp 2024 on Monday, the Caps take to the road for the first time in the preseason on Tuesday night. Tonight’s preseason match against the Bruins in Boston is also the front end of a set of midweek back-to-backs. The Caps will return from Beantown after tonight’s game, but they’ll grab some fresh players, gas up the bird and head to Newark for a Wednesday night with the Devils.
Both the Caps and the Bruins dropped their respective exhibition openers on Sunday afternoon on home ice. While the Caps came out on the short end of a 6-2 score against Philadelphia, the Bruins fell a goal shy in a 3-2 loss to the Rangers.
The Caps will dress a more experienced group for tonight’s game in Boston, but eight of the players who suited up on Sunday against the Flyers will also be in the lineup tonight against Boston.
“I talked to a few of them today,” says Caps coach Spencer Carbery of those eight players. “Like I said [Sunday] after the game – and confirmed through some conversations today – there's a lot of nerves, And whether it was the three o'clock game, the first game of the preseason, putting pressure on themselves to perform and show what they're capable of doing, it just was an off night for a lot of guys.
“And so hopefully, now the guys that are playing in their second game, it's more of, ‘Okay, I'm comfortable. I got that one out of the way, and now I can put my best foot forward and show what I'm capable of doing.’ And sort of just let some weight off their shoulders a bit.”
Brothers In Arms – After drafting Belarusian forward Aliaksei Protas with their third-round choice (91st overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Caps into the Protas gene pool again in the third round of this past summer’s 2024 NHL Draft, selecting Ilya Protas with the 75th overall pick.
Because of the five-year age difference, 23-year-old Aliaksei and 18-year-old Ilya have practiced and trained together, but they’ve not taken the ice in the same game as foes or as teammates. That’s expected to change tonight when both Protas brothers will pull on Caps’ sweaters and face the Bruins tonight.
“I’m sure is going to be special,” says big brother Aliaksei. “It’s something we couldn’t even dream of, being on the same team. It’s going to be something special.
“The age gap is pretty big, especially when you play juniors. So, it’s basically our first full game. Even during the summer, we don’t play that much. But that’s just summer hockey, you know? It’s a completely different situation. In a preseason game when you put the NHL jersey on, it for sure is something different, and we have to be proud of it and just take care of the chance and have fun.”
In the Caps’ preseason opener on Sunday, Washington dressed five teenagers, four of whom were seeing their first NHL preseason action. Tonight in Boston, Ilya Protas figures to be the team’s lone teenager in the lineup, though he won’t be the only teen on the Caps’ squad; Andrew Cristall is one of a handful of players playing for the second time in as many preseason tilts.
“A little bit nervous, but excited,” says Ilya Protas. But having his brother on the same bench? “Oh yeah, sure. It helps a lot.”
Before reporting to Caps’ rookie camp in Annapolis on Sept. 12, Ilya Protas stopped in Windsor, Ont. where he will be playing for the OHL Spitfires. The younger Protas wanted to get the lay of the land in his new home city – he played at USHL Des Moines last season – and to meet his new coaches and teammates.
While he was in town, Ilya suited up for his first OHL preseason game, and he notched a hat trick in a 6-3 victory over Sarnia.
“It’s awesome,” says the younger Protas of his OHL preseason debut. “I was a little nervous before the game, you know. It was my first game in the Windsor rink. And I understand this is only preseason, but I was nervous because it’s a new organization, new fans, and you need to show something. And yeah, that was awesome. It’s a good group, the coaching staff trusts me, and I’m excited to join this group.”
The Protas brothers are just the second pair of brothers who were both Washington draft choices; the Caps drafted the Corriveau brothers a few decades back, taking Yvon in the first round (19th overall) and Rick in the eighth round (168th overall) in 1991.
Brothers Dylan and Matt Strome are currently in their third training camp with the Caps, and way back in the fall of 2001, the Caps had Point Jefferson NY’s own Ferraro twins – Chris and Peter – in their training camp. Chris played just one game for the Caps that season, and Peter appeared in four contests. On Oct. 16, 2001 at Staples Center, both Ferraro brothers suited up for Washington in the same game, a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
Playing in what would be the last of his 74 career NHL games that night, Chris Ferraro supplied the primary helper on Ulf Dahlen’s power-play goal midway through the second period. It’s believed to be the last time two brothers suited up for the Capitals, whether regular season or exhibition.
Center of Gravity – About three months after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in a late June trade, center P-L Dubois will pull on the Caps’ sweater tonight for the first time, manning the middle of a line with Connor McMichael on his left and Tom Wilson on his right.
“It’s excitement,” says Dubois. “It’s not the regular season, but it’s a step towards that, and it’s a step towards good habits and a step towards winning hockey games. Scrimmage is fine, but there’s nothing like a preseason game and playing against other teams. You’re not as scared to shoot the puck and not as scared to get into it physically. So it’s exciting.”
Dubois is one of seven off-season acquisitions now seeking to assimilate the Caps’ system and to get the lay of the land locally. He is expected to center one of the team’s top two lines this season, and to be a staple on Washington’s top power play unit as well.
“That first [preseason] game – whether it’s the first, the second or the third [for the team], you’re always going to have to adapt a little bit,” says Dubois. “There’s always going to be some thinking – and you may be a bit slow at times because you’re overthinking – but the coaching staff has done a really good job, whether it’s video, or just talking after practice or talking during practice, it’s hockey at the end of the day. The system is obviously something different team by team, but it’s the same sport.
“So tonight, my job is just to go out there and do what I can do. And after that, we'll do some video, and we'll talk, and we'll learn from our mistakes. But that's what preseason is for.”
In The Nets – Hunter Shepard started the Caps’ preseason opener on Sunday afternoon against Philadelphia, yielding the net to last year’s netminding partner in Hershey, Clay Stevenson. Each of the two were nicked for three goals against on 14 shots; Shepard was in the crease for 30:22 and Stevenson for 29:38.
Tonight in Boston, Shepard will start and is expected to the distance. He will be backed up by second-year pro Mitchell Gibson.
All Lined Up – Here’s how we expect the Capitals to line up for Tuesday’s preseason match in Boston, and here also is an expected roster for the Bruins:
WASHINGTON
Forwards
24-McMichael, 80-Dubois, 43-Wilson
21-A. Protas, 29-Lapierre, 63-Miroshnichenko
28-Cristall, 23-Sgarbossa, 53-Frank
62-I. Protas, 58-Rybinski, 72-Dube
Defensemen
42-Fehervary, 3-Roy
4-Häman-Aktell, 25-Bear
56-Priskie, 2-Iorio
Goaltenders
31-Shepard
78-Gibson
BOSTON
Forwards
53-Joey Abate
55-Justin Brazeau
38-Patrick Brown
11-Trent Frederic
72-Brett Harrison
90-Tyler Johnson
23-Fabian Lysell
26-Mark McLaughlin
42-Georgii Merkulov
64-Jaxon Nelson
51-Matt Poitras
10-Riley Tufte
Defensemen
79-Michael Callahan
25-Brandon Carlo
27-Hampus Lindholm
14-Ian Mitchell
82-Jordan Oesterle
58-Billy Sweezey
Goaltenders
80-Michael DiPietro
70-Joonas Korpisalo
