NHL Player News

Protas posted an assist and two PIM in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs.

Protas played 15:37 in his NHL debut and also won six of 14 faceoffs while starting as a middle-six center. The 19-year-old had 62 points in 66 AHL appearances with Hershey this season prior to the call-up. It's unclear if Protas is here to stay, but the Capitals clearly think he can give them a boost as they try to stay in the playoff race. If the Capitals fall short of the postseason, Protas will still get a chance to contribute for Hershey, which is currently in line to make the AHL playoffs, though its spot hasn't been clinched.

Hutson scored an empty-net goal on two shots and added two hits in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs.

Hutson has netted two of his three goals into a vacant cage so far. The 19-year-old blueliner's instincts on offense are still apparent, as he's earned eight points, including five on the power play, over his first 11 outings. He's added 19 shots on net, 11 hits, four blocked shots and a minus-3 rating. Hutson continues to see sheltered minutes on the third pairing, but he looks ready to step into a larger role if necessary.

Leonard scored a goal on four shots, added four PIM and doled out five hits in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs.

Leonard has three goals and three assists over his last six outings. The 21-year-old winger put the Capitals up 2-0 in the second period. He's been effective as a rookie with 18 goals, 42 points, 146 shots on net, 119 hits, 47 PIM and a minus-2 rating over 72 appearances, mainly in a middle-six role.

Fehervary scored a goal on two shots, dished an assist, blocked two shots and went plus-3 in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs.

It was a rare big game on offense for Fehervary, who helped out on a Dylan Strome goal in the first period before scoring one of his own in the second. Fehervary hadn't scored since Feb. 2 versus the Islanders, and he had just three helpers over 21 contests in between tallies. The defenseman is up to five goals and 25 points over 78 appearances, exactly matching his offensive production from 81 regular-season outings last year. He's added 71 shots on net, 106 hits, 174 blocked shots, 35 PIM and a plus-14 rating while filling a shutdown role in the Capitals' top four.

Strome scored a goal, added an assist and went plus-2 in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs.

Strome has three goals and four assists over his last nine outings. He had a rough March, but he looks to be turning things around as the Capitals try to pull off a long-shot effort to make the playoffs. The 29-year-old center is up to 19 goals, 57 points, 139 shots on net, 52 blocked shots, 46 PIM and a plus-4 rating over 77 appearances in what is all but certain to be his lowest-scoring season in four years with Washington.

Thompson recorded a 21-save shutout in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs.

Thompson is doing everything he can to keep the Capitals on the fringe of the playoff race. He's won five of his last six outings, though he's only had a good performance in two of those games. This was his career-best third shutout of the campaign, and he's up to 29-21-6 with a 2.47 GAA and a .912 save percentage over 56 appearances. Impressively, he hasn't worn down despite already playing in 10 more games than any other season in his career -- his season-long numbers are right in line with what he did last year. The Capitals have a critical pair of games coming up over the weekend as they visit the Penguins on Saturday before hosting them in a rematch Sunday.

Woll stopped 14 of 17 shots in relief of Anthony Stolarz (lower body) in Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Capitals. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.

Woll played nearly the whole game after Stolarz went down just 2:34 into the first period. The 27-year-old Woll suffered his third consecutive loss, allowing 15 goals on 95 shots during this span. He's at a 15-15-7 record with a 3.31 GAA and a .900 save percentage over 38 appearances this season. Artur Akhtyamov will get the nod in Thursday's road matchup versus the Islanders, but it's possible Woll sees the bulk of the workload for the Maple Leafs' last three games.

Fox scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

Fox set up Alexis Lafreniere on the Rangers' first goal and then put them ahead 3-2 in the second period with a tally of his own. During an eight-game point streak, Fox has amassed four goals and 11 assists, with nine of those 15 points coming on the power play. He's up to nine goals, 52 points (24 on the power play), 84 shots on net, 72 blocked shots and a plus-6 rating over 52 appearances. Fox continues to operate as the Rangers' top blueliner and has been producing as such when healthy.

Lafreniere scored two goals, including one on the power play, and went minus-2 in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

Lafreniere ended a five-game goal drought with the effort. The 24-year-old winger has earned five goals and six assists over his last 12 outings as he continues to put together a strong final quarter of the campaign. He's up to 24 goals, 55 points, 161 shots on net, 84 hits, 42 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating over 79 appearances. He needs three points over the Rangers' last three games to establish a new career high.

Shesterkin stopped 22 of 26 shots in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Sabres. The fifth goal was an empty-netter.

Shesterkin had a 3-2 lead to protect after the second period, but the Rangers got caved in during the third. They managed just one shot on goal, and Shesterkin couldn't hold the fort, giving up goals to Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker in a span of 1:23 to flip the game around. Shesterkin is down to 25-18-6 with a 2.53 GAA and a .911 save percentage after taking his second loss in his last five outings. With the Rangers eliminated from playoff contention, it's unclear if Shesterkin will maintain a heavy workload in the final week of the season. The team closes out the year on a three-game road trip, beginning Saturday in Dallas.