Takeaways: Strome & Protas Power Capitals To Win Over Red Wings, Wilson Hits 30 Goals

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WASHINGTON — Third periods have been the cherry on top this season for the Washington Capitals.

Washington busted out for a three-goal final frame, as Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas put up multi-point efforts en route to a 4-1 win over the Red Wings. D.C. has now won seven of the last eight games.

Here are all the takeaways from the victory.

Strome Keeps Scoring, Capitals Put Ovechkin With Dubois​

After missing practice with an illness on Monday, Dylan Strome returned and was back in the mix on Tuesday. He didn't miss a beat.

Strome fired a laser from the point past Petr Mrazek early in the first to give Washington a 1-0 lead. It marked the second straight game and the third time in the last four outings that he opened the scoring for D.C. within the first eight minutes of play.

The 28-year-old now has goals in four of his last five games and added an assist, and he now leads the Capitals with 67 points through 68 games.

Though Strome has been hot, Washington wanted to try him on a different line. Coach Spence Carbery separated him and Alex Ovechkin as Strome spent the majority of the game skating alongside Tom Wilson and Connor McMichael, while Ovechkin went to work with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Aliaksei Protas.

Protas, Dubois Hit 60-Point Mark, Wilson Reaches 30 Goals​

Washington also saw Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois hit the 60-point marks, while Tom Wilson reached the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career.

Protas' 46 points at 5-on-5 are tied for the fourth-most in the NHL. Dubois now has 20 more points than he had last season and has reached 60 points in three of the last four years.

Logan Thompson Stands Tall​

Coach Spencer Carbery said on Tuesday that the team would be sticking with Logan Thompson in net as the goaltending rotation starts to come to an end, and he put on a show to prove to Carbery that he's the right choice to be the starter going forward.

As the Red Wings tilted the ice after the Capitals' strong first period, the 28-year-old made several impressive saves and was agile and quick in the crease while showing great awareness. He stopped 22 shots for his 30th win of the season.

Thompson is two wins away from tying Jose Theodore's franchise record for the most wins in his first season with the team.

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