The Caps took the ice in Pittsburgh yesterday desperately needing a win, and having to go through a ramshackle Penguins’ squad to get one. Thankfully they managed the two points, and the reason for that comes down to two simple words: The Kids.
Sure, Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist, and the 40-year-old captain had the nail-in-the-coffin empty-netter, but the majority of the scoring was carried by the youths of the team – which you just love to see.
It started with Protas the Younger setting up Protas the Elder on the first goal of the game:
Four minutes later, it was Ryan Leonard scoring a beautiful but bizarre one off a great play by Pierre-Luc Dubois, initially ruled no-goal but then reviewed to show Arturs Silov’s goal over the line:
Later in the period, with the Caps up 3-2 thanks to goals by Wilson (assisted by both Protas brothers) and PIT’s Noel Acciari, it was Leonard’s turn once again – this time cleaning up a rebound from an absolutely gross (complimentary) drive to the net by Cole Hutson, set up by Justin Sourdif for an all-rookie goal:
That would stand as the eventual game-winner – and the 20th goal of the season for Leonard – but the kids weren’t done yet. After racking up three assists to start his career, Ilya Protas hit the ice for a Capitals power play and promptly scored his very first NHL goal:
Whether or not the Capitals end up punching their ticket to the postseason in the next few days or not, it’s hard not to get excited about what the very near future looks like for this team.