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Injury update on Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas
Photo credit: RMNB
The Washington Capitals are preparing for an intense first-round showdown against the Montreal Canadiens tomorrow, but injury troubles continue to loom large. Several key players remained sidelined, casting uncertainty over the team's lineup heading into the series.
The Washington Capitals have hit the ice for morning practice, and all eyes are on forward Aliaksei Protas.
While it's a promising sign to see Protas skating again, there's a catch - he's sporting a non-contact jersey.
That indicates he hasn't been cleared for full participation, making it unlikely he'll be available for tomorrow's playoff opener.
Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas wears non-contact jersey at practice
Aliaksei Protas (skate cut on foot) skated briefly this morning under the watchful eye of the training staff. Wearing non-contact jersey. He also shot a few pucks after this. You can make your own assessment of his availability for Game 1 vs. Canadiens tomorrow.
In the video above, Aliaksei Protas can be seen skating, but he's clearly not at full speed.
It appears he's cautiously testing things out, carefully avoiding too much pressure on his foot.
While it's encouraging to see him back on the ice, his limited movement suggests he's still far from being game-ready.
During game against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 4, forward Aliaksei Protas sustained a gruesome skate blade injury after a collision with a Blackhawks player, requiring him to be helped off the ice.
Having Protas out of the lineup tomorrow is a big hit, to say the least.
In 76 regular season games, Aliaksei Protas notched 30 goals and 36 assists.
More details to follow.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 20 | 46 ANSWERS Injury update on Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas Do you think Aliaksei Protas will miss the 1st round of the NHL playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 27 | 58.7 % |
| No | 19 | 41.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
