ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals got a much-deserved day off following an intense start to their Stanley Cup Playoff run against the Montreal Canadiens as the team returned home to D.C.,and they got some welcome news ahead of Game 5, too.

Aliaksei Protas is "right there" and closing in on a return, per coach Spencer Carbery, and could very well play in Game 5. The 23-year-old has been a full go at practice and taking contact as he continues to work his way back from a skate cut to the foot suffered on April 4.

Getting Protas back would be a major boost, especially with the penalty kill looking to tighten up against the Canadiens' dangerous power play and the team needing more offense at 5-on-5. Protas led the team in even strength scoring and ranked third overall in points with 66 (30 goals, 36 assists) in 76 regular-season games.

While it was positive news for Washington, the team still had some unfavorable business to take care of.

The Capitals, along with the Canadiens, received a $25,000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct in warmups during Game 4, while defensemen Dylan McIlrath, and Arber Xhekaj were each fined the maximum under the CBA for their actions in the pregame skate.

It's unclear exactly what happened, but the discipline comes from the league trying to calm things down between Washington and Montreal after tensions boiled over at the end of the second period in Game 3 back on Friday. The scrum resulted in Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson taking their on-ice fight onto the Capitals bench, while players on the ice exchanged blows.

Tensions are sure to be high in Game 5 on Wednesday, as Washington looks to advance in a playoff series for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

Tom Wilson, who tilted the ice with a huge hit in the third that led to four unanswered goals in Game 4, will be at the center of that.

Tom Wilson Wanted To Be Better For The Capitals. In The Blink Of An Eye, He Turned The Series Back Around While Still Getting Under Canadiens' Skin In just a matter of seconds, Tom Wilson turned the series back around for the Washington Capitals, delivering a huge hit on Alexandre Carrier that led to the game-tying goal in Game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens.