Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/182f0389-141e-4d03-b8f2-13ae348def12.jpeg] Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall has his eyes on the prize going into training camp, as he hopes to make the opening night roster, and he's certainly put in the work to make a strong case. Cristall said he had a productive offseason of training, noting that he made some changes to his regimen to improve certain aspects of his game, specifically his skating. "I'm on a new program for my speed and my skating," Cristall said. "I feel a lot faster." Cristall is coming off a dominant season where he led the WHL [http://thehockeynews.com/whl] with a whopping 132 points in 57 regular-season games before adding 41 points in 19 playoff games. As Ilya Protas Works Toward Capitals, His Coach — Older Brother Aliaksei — Demands More & More [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/16f832c3-29fe-444a-8187-2881e5e8432c.png] As Ilya Protas Works Toward Capitals, His Coach — Older Brother Aliaksei — Demands More & More When asked at Washington Capitals rookie camp what he's worked on to improve his game, Ilya Protas' response was automatic. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/players/as-ilya-protas-works-toward-capitals-his-coach-older-brother-aliaksei-demands-more-more] In addition to working on his speed, the 5-foot-10 winger, who weighed in last season at 167 pounds, said that he's focused on adding more weight this summer and getting stronger. Overall, the 20-year-old is feeling confident as he looks to stick around after nearly making the cut out of camp last season. He faces stiff competition, with Sonny Milano back the picture [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/latest-news/milano-looking-strong-as-he-has-sights-set-on-capitals-comeback] and Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko eager to leave the AHL [http://thehockeynews.com/ahl] behind them, but if his offseason is any indication, Cristall will get the long look he deserves from the coaching staff. "When you see numbers and things like that improving, it helps your confidence," Cristall said of his progress.
