Dec. 23 vs. Boston Bruins at TD Garden

Time: 7:00 p.m

TV: MNMT

Radio: 106.7 THE FAN, Caps Radio 24/7

Washington Capitals (8/23/2)

Boston Bruins (18.13.4)

The Caps are making one final trip to play one final game before the NHL’s annual holiday break. Washington will be in Boston to face the Bruins on Monday night at TD Garden for the first of three meetings this season.

Monday’s game in Boston ends the Caps’ eighth streak of consecutive games in exactly nine weeks; Washington edged the visiting Los Angeles Kings 3-1 early in that set on Sunday afternoon in D.C.

For the second time in as many games, Aliaksei Protas scored the game’s first goal and Jakub Vrana scored the winner as the Caps won two home games by identical 3-1 scores against Carolina and Los Angeles. PL Dubois, facing his former team for the first time since his transfer to Washington six months ago, was also a standout performer, providing the primary assist on each of the aforementioned goals while also helping the Caps beat the Kings at 5-on-1 -5 system to defeat.

“It feels good, it feels really special,” said a smiling Dubois as he rejoiced in Sunday’s win. “We have a midnight rule and another big game (Monday) before halftime. As good as that feels, it’s on to the next thing.”

With his two assists on Sunday, Dubois now has 20 on the season. He is the ninth fastest Capital to 20 assists, reaching that plateau in 33 games. Randy Burridge holds the club record with 20 apples in as many games in 1991-92. Burridge finished this season with a career-best 44 in a season.

In addition to scoring the only 5-on-5 goal of Sunday’s game, Protas added a late empty-net goal for the second multi-game goal of his NHL career, both of which came this month. Protas has scored 14 goals in 33 games this season, including a team-leading six goals in just nine games in December. Protas’ 3.20 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 this season ranks third in the NHL, behind only Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel (3.37) and Vegas’ Ivan Barbashev (3.31). .

What’s even more amazing is that Protas’ 14 goals this season is one more than he managed in 169 games in his first three NHL seasons.

“And everything is 5-on-5 or outnumbered; “He doesn’t touch the power play at all and he forces us to make sure he comes out at some point, which he will,” emphasized Caps coach Spencer Carbery. “I just feel like he does such a good job at 5-on-5, on the penalty kill and in so many different areas inside.”

It’s not easy to win two games in a row in the NHL, but the Caps have accomplished the feat in four of their last seven games in a row this season and have also managed to win three games out of two nights this season, which is what they’re aiming for on Monday in Boston.

In Sunday’s win over Los Angeles, the Caps completely shut out the Kings at 5-on-5. Each team had a power play in the game – each of those power plays was the result of a delay of game or puck-over-glass violation – and each team scored on its only opportunity to gain an advantage in the contest.

The first two periods were virtually dead even at even strength, but Los Angeles – which was completing a 15-day, seven-game road trip – drained the tank in the third period and upped the ante significantly. The Caps and goaltender Logan Thompson were more than up to the task; Thompson made 10 of his 25 saves in the final frame to secure his 13th win of the season. This means he has reached more than half of his career high of 25 wins from last season.

With Vegas in the 2023-24 season, Thompson earned his 13th win on January 11 of this year in the Golden Knights’ 42nd game of the season. His 13th win of the 24-25 season came in the 33rd game of the season for the Caps.

“They let me see a lot of pucks,” Thompson said of his teammates. “They were good too with some timely blocks. But credit goes to the boys. I think we kept them out most of the night and made my job easier.”

Along with all other teams in the NHL’s Original 32, Washington will enjoy a three-day break from the stadium following Monday’s game; No team activities are permitted December 24-26. Following the game in Boston, the Caps will meet again for practice at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Friday morning before hitting the road again to play another set of consecutive games – their ninth set in the league, which they have between opening night in New leads anniversary – in Toronto and Detroit on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Boston has a 7-2-1 record in its last 10 games and a 10-4-1 record since interim coach – and former Caps winger – Joe Sacco took over the bench following the firing of Jim Montgomery at the start of the season. The B’s have the fifth-best record in the league since Sacco took over on Nov. 19; He coached his first game on November 21st.

Since Sacco took over, Boston has scored 2.87 goals per game, ranking 20th during that time. The B’s have scored just 2.60 goals per game under Sacco, which is 10th best. The Bruins are the league’s second stingiest team in allowing shots on goal, averaging 24.2 per game over the last month; only New Jersey (22.1) is better.