Dennis Schneidler — Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5573bbf0-0eba-48d3-ab1e-7efa2d3e59aa.jpeg] Dennis Schneidler — Imagn Images The Washington Capitals went the distance in their first game back from the holiday break, showing flashes of strong play while showcasing other areas that need improvement as they went back and forth with the New Jersey Devils Alex Ovechkin broke out of a lengthy drought and Aliaksei Protas sparked the Capitals' offense, and ultimately, Jakob Chychrun played hero as the Capitals stunned the Devils, 4-3, in overtime. Here are the takeaways: PROTAS POWERS CAPITALS OFFENSE With the Capitals needing more from their offense, they've seen Aliaksei Protas turn things around and go on a hot streak, and he picked up right where he left off in the team's return from the holiday break. Protas beat the buzzer at the end of the first to give D.C. a 1-0 lead with his 14th goal of the season. He now has goals in four of his last five games. He wasn't done there, though. In the second, he forced a turnover, which Anthony Beauvillier fired past Jake Allen to make it 2-1 for the Capitals. Later on in the third, he helped set up Alex Ovechkin to cap off a three-point night. The 24-year-old is on pace for another 30-goal season and 58 points total, and has been finding his game of late with points in 10 of his last 14 games overall. This is the Protas that Washington was waiting to see this season, and his recent surge will be critical over this coming stretch. OVECHKIN BUTS OUT TO BRING CAPITALS BACK TO LIFE Down 3-2 after the Devils turned the tie with two quick goals to take the lead in the third, Alex Ovechkin stepped up and scored a much-needed goal, one that was a long time coming. Ovechkin got to the front and picked up a highlight-reel pass from Rasmus Sandin, who faked a shot before finding the captain alone for the lay-up. The goal ended a nine-game drought for Ovechkin and marked his 15th tally of the year. He's still on pace for a 30-goal season. Ovechkin's goal not only evened the score, but it helped D.C. gain the momentum back after faltering a bit and losing the lead in the final frame. Earlier in the game, he helped set up Protas, ending a skid where he went six games without a point. With a multi-point outing, he not only got his game back, but also sparked his group. THOMPSON STANDS TALL, CHYCHRUN PLAYS HERO For a good amount of time, the Capitals were in front, and a big reason for that was Logan Thompson's play in net. The 28-year-old netminder, who leads THN's current Vezina rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-vezina-trophy-rankings-capitals-logan-thompson-stands-above-all], made a handful of ten-bell saves and came up big early and often to keep Washington in it, even as the Devils turned up the pressure. How Capitals' Logan Thompson Went From Nearly Quitting To Becoming A Top NHL Goalie [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/382f0621-c287-4ce6-9f26-5a103603e691.jpeg] How Capitals' Logan Thompson Went From Nearly Quitting To Becoming A Top NHL Goalie No one believed in Logan Thompson, so he bet on himself. It's put him among the NHL's best as he makes waves with the Washington Capitals. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/how-capitals-logan-thompson-went-from-nearly-quitting-to-becoming-a-top-nhl-goalie] He finished the night with 35 saves on 38 shots for a .921 save percentage. As the Devils dominated overtime, Thompson came up big, and ultimately, with time ticking down in OT, the puck ended up on Jakob Chychrun's tape as he stormed through traffic and fired a shot on goal before batting in his own rebound out of mid-air for the 4-3 win. Chychrun's 15 goals lead all NHL defensemen.
