Pierre-Luc Dubois Leads Capitals to Victory Over Golden Knights
WASHINGTON – Pierre-Luc Dubois was the star of the show on Friday night, netting two crucial goals in a 2:34 span during the second period, propelling the Washington Capitals to a hard-fought 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights at Capital One Arena. This victory marks the Capitals’ sixth win in their last seven games.
Dubois, who also contributed an assist, has been a force since his return to the lineup, having missed 47 games due to surgery addressing injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. He now has three goals in just three games since his comeback.
Dubois’ Dominant Performance
“I feel like ‘Duby’ is one of those guys with a 200-foot game,” remarked linemate Aliaksei Protas, who provided the primary assists on both of Dubois’ goals. “He’s really playing hard at both ends of the ice. He’s really smart.”
Dubois opened the scoring 49 seconds into the second period, capitalizing on a pass from Protas with a quick snap shot that deflected off Akira Schmid’s shoulder. He doubled the Capitals’ lead at 3:23, converting a one-timer from the low slot after another assist from Protas.
Capitals’ Solid Team Effort
Jakob Chychrun also found the back of the net for the Capitals, extending their lead to 3-0 at 14:52 with a powerful one-timer. Rasmus Sandin added two assists, and Logan Thompson stood tall in net, making 24 saves.
“That’s probably the best third-period team in the League,” Thompson stated. “We knew they were going to come out… a lot of really high-end talented players on that team. We weathered the storm and again, just happy to hold on there at the end, and it’s huge confidence for this group. Every point matters right now.”
Golden Knights Struggle, But Fight Back
The Vegas Golden Knights, despite a late push, couldn’t overcome the early deficit. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl scored in the third period for Vegas, but it wasn’t enough. Akira Schmid made 27 saves in the loss.
“Well, we weren’t ready to play,” lamented Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. “Listen, I’ve said it, the coach has to prepare your team to play, but like this one, the players weren’t ready to play. They’re professionals. They’ve got to be ready to go, and we weren’t nearly good enough.”
Key Moments and Milestones
- Pierre-Luc Dubois: Two goals and one assist in a dominant performance.
- Jakob Chychrun: Scored his 12th game-winning goal since joining the Capitals, leading all defensemen in that category.
- Tomas Hertl: Reached 600 career NHL points with his goal in the third period.
- Mitch Marner: Recorded his 800th career NHL point with an assist.
Logan Thompson’s crucial saves, including a late stop on a breakaway by Brayden McNabb and a denial of Mitch Marner, proved vital in securing the win for the Capitals.
“Huge, huge, huge saves there to preserve that win for us,” said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery. “’LT’ steps up for the guys and finds a way to make a big save at a big moment.”
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