Takeaways: Dubois Shines Against Former Team As Protas & Capitals Edge Kings
The former King shined in his first game with against his former club, as he helped the Capitals to a 3-1 win.
WASHINGTON — Pierre-Luc Dubois couldn't make the cut as a top center with the Los Angeles Kings, which was one of the reasons he found himself shipped to the Washington Capitals this summer. In his first game facing L.A. since, he enjoyed some sweet revenge, as he showed them exactly what they were missing out on.
Dubois, working with Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael, powered the offense as the Capitals edged L.A., 3-1.
Here are all the takeaways from the victory.
Pierre-Luc Dubois Puts On A Show Against Former Team
The Capitals have been the perfect fit for Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was traded from L.A. for Darcy Kuemper this summer.
And in his first game facing his former club since that summer blockbuster, he made quite the statement with an impressive outing.
Dubois helped power the Capitals' offense against the Kings, making two heads-up plays for back-to-back primary helpers en route.
The 26-year-old now has points in seven of his last eight outings and nine points over that span, and he's also Washington's leading point scorer through December.
At the other end of the ice, Dubois was instrumental in shutting down Anze Kopitar and Los Angeles' top scoring threats.
Protas Continues Impressive Run, McMichael Adds To Point Total
Aliaksei Protas has been one of the most improved players for Washington and had yet another impressive performance against L.A. on Sunday.
Protas got the scoring started for D.C. with his second goal in as many games, putting him up to 28 points through 33 games.
The Belarus native matched his career high of 29 points that he set through 78 games last year, and he's on pace for 72 points to boot.
Beyond his contributions on the scoresheet, he was again one of the top players on the ice, using his size and skating to generate chances on offense and working well alongside Pierre-Luc Dubois and Connor McMichael.
Speaking of McMichael, he added an assist and now has points in back-to-back games, while remaining on pace for 72 points.
Vrana Sparks Struggling Power Play
Over the last handful of games, special teams haven't been working out too well for Washington, and the power play had taken a notable step back while missing Alex Ovechkin. Ultimately, Jakub Vrana helped change that on Sunday.
Minutes after the Kings tied the game on their own power play, Vrana sped to the slot and picked up a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois before rocketing a shot past David Rittich to restore the lead for the Capitals.
It marked Vrana's second goal in as many games and extended his point streak to three games, and it was also Washington's first PPG in three games.
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