Aliaksei Protas scored twice and Jakub Vrana netted the game-winner on the facility play because the Washington Capitals (23-8-2) defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. The Capitals retake first place in the Eastern Conference with 48 factors, one level greater than the New Jersey Devils. As for the Kings, they finish their seven-game highway journey 3-2-2 with their subsequent sport being towards the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
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Jakub Vrana and Kevin Fiala scored on every of their workforce’s solely energy performs within the sport.
Recreation Recap
The opening 10 minutes of the primary interval noticed back-and-forth battles by the impartial zone with neither workforce having the ability to arrange within the respective offensive zones. Each groups coming into the sport have been throughout the high 5 for permitting two targets or fewer to opponents so a scrappy, low-scoring sport was within the playing cards.
Simply after the 10-minute mark Pierre-Luc Dubois capitalized on a unfastened puck by the blue line, threaded a cross to Aliaksei Protas and scored his thirteenth of the season to offer the Capitals a 1-0 lead.
The second interval noticed the one energy play alternatives for every workforce. At 16:07 Trevor van Riemsdyk took a delay of sport penalty. Seventeen seconds into the Kings’ energy play, after a give-and-go with Adrian Kempe, Fiala scored off of a one-timer to tie the sport at one. Later within the interval at 7:23, the Capitals acquired a possibility on the PP after Fiala took a delay of sport penalty. After a clearing try acquired blocked on the blue line by the linesman, Dubois took benefit of the scenario and despatched a cross to Vrana who rang one off of the submit and in to offer the Capitals a 2-1 lead.
Protas sealed the victory with an empty internet purpose, his 14th of the season, at 0:54. Dubois had two assists on the night time, giving him 5 factors within the final 5 video games for the Capitals’ heart. With an help tonight, Brandt Clarke now has three in his final 5 video games for the Kings.
The Capitals can be on a airplane to Boston tonight to face the Bruins tomorrow (Dec. 23), and the Kings get a six-day break after the lengthy highway journey. Their subsequent sport can be towards the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (Dec. 28).
