Protas gets 2 goals for Capitals in win against Bruins

WASHINGTON -- Aliaksei Protas scored two goals for the Washington Capitals in a 3-1 win against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.

Jakob Chychrun scored, and Tom Wilson had two assists for the Capitals (25-10-2), who have won four of their past six games and moved one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Eastern Conference.

“We’ve got to prepare for these kind of games because the teams are preparing a little more for us, I think,” said Protas, who has 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in his past 12 games. … “We’ve got to be ready for these types of games, and I think we were ready. We’ve got a real good team. Everyone is aware in that group, and we want to win.

“I think we’ve just got to stay together for a full 60 [minutes] and we’ll have a pretty good chance for success every game.”

Logan Thompson made 26 saves for Washington, including 11 in the third period, for his 15th win of the season, matching the franchise mark for fewest appearances (19) to reach 15 career wins (Ilya Samsonov, 2019-20).

“There were times in that game where we weren’t playing the way we want to, but it’s a long year and it’s a matter of finding ways to win, and I think we did that tonight,” Chychrun said. “L.T. kept us in it. … He made some huge saves.”

Alex Ovechkin, who had at least one goal in each of his past four games, was held off the score sheet and remains at 870 NHL goals, 25 from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record.

Justin Brazeau scored for the Bruins (20-15-4), who were 5-1-1 in their previous seven. Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves.

"It was a tight-checking game like we knew it would be through the neutral zone and in the end zones, both areas of the ice,” Boston coach Joe Sacco said. “Not a lot of room out there. You have to fight for your offense, you have to work for your offense. We had some chances in the third to capitalize, to tie it up.”

Brazeau gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 1:21 of the first period. Parker Wotherspoon dumped the puck in and it bounced off the boards, then off Thompson’s pad and to Brazeau, who scored from in front of the crease.

"I was just going in on the forecheck trying to get to the goalie if he played the puck, and with puck luck it bounced in front of the net and I'm just trying to put it on [goal],” Brazeau said.

Protas tied it 1-1 at 12:05, scoring from the low slot off a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois behind the net. It was his 15th goal of the season.

“Great work by all of them,” Protas said. “Nice tip by [Wilson] before that. ‘Dubi’s’ a real smart player, and he made a great play and just needed to bury that for them.”

The Capitals took a 2-1 lead at 17:11 when Chychrun took a pass at the blue line from Dylan Strome, skated into the right circle and scored on a high wrist shot during a power play.

Protas scored an empty-net goal with nine seconds left for the 3-1 final.

“Our guys want to win desperately, and they just grinded their way through that last six or seven minutes,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “We’re blocking shots, guys are laying out, they’re shooting it at our net from everywhere. It’s hitting things. They’re laying it on the line to try and find a way to win a game, even though we don’t have our best. You have to tip your hat to our group.”

NOTES: Ovechkin had three shots on goal in 16:14 of ice time. … Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary left the game after being hit in the face by Wilson’s stick at 5:47 of the third. There was no update. … Chychrun has a three-game point streak (two goals, two assists). … Washington defenseman Rasmus Sandin blocked five shots in 21:29. … Brazeau has three goals in his past four games. … Bruins forward Brad Marchand had a nine-game road point streak end (11 points; seven goals, four assists).