Capitals' Thompson resumes skating, Protas close to getting back on ice

WASHINGTON (AP) — The banged-up Washington Capitals could be getting a couple of their most important players back in time for the start of the playoffs or at least sometime in the first round.

Goaltender Logan Thompson has resumed skating, and forward Aliaksei Protas is on track to get back on the ice this week, coach Spencer Carbery said Sunday before the home finale against Columbus.

Thompson has been out with what the team is calling an upper-body injury, after leaving a game on April 2 at Carolina following a shot from Sean Walker that knocked off his mask. Carbery said Thompson skated on his own but did not face shots, which is a step in the process of returning.

Protas got an inadvertent skate cut on the top of his left foot April 4 against Chicago and has been walking around in a boot with the aid of crutches.

“He'll be a little bit longer,” Carbery said. “Hoping that he touches the ice at some point this week."

Washington is locked into the top spot in the Eastern Conference and visits the New York Islanders on Tuesday night and Pittsburgh on Thursday night to finish the regular season. The playoffs will begin at home either next Sunday or Monday, April 21, against the Montreal Canadiens or the Blue Jackets.

Who starts in net for that Game 1 remains a question. Charlie Lindgren has shouldered the load since Thompson was injured. He has an .866 save percentage since replacing Thompson against the Hurricanes, though much of that has been a result of mistakes and missed coverage in front of him.

“Right now just from a results standpoint, I want to let in less goals, 100%,” Lindgren said last week. “I don’t like letting in three goals every single game. I want to get that number down. ... Just trying to figure out ways to work on my game and better myself because as we know goaltending in the playoffs goes a long way, and I want to make sure I’m doing my job and doing the best I can to put the team in the best situation possible.”

Thompson is having a career season, winning 31 of his 42 starts with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. In late January, the 28-year-old signed a six-year, $35.1 million contract extension through the 2030-31 NHL season.

Protas, who's under contract through 2029 at a bargain price of $3.375 million annually, has shattered his career highs with 30 goals, 36 assists and 66 points. Before this season, the 24-year-old had 55 points in his first 173 regular-season and playoff games in the league.

Carbery is trying to balance resting some older players versus getting the Capitals, who have lost six of their past nine games, ready for the postseason. Alex Ovechkin was a healthy scratch Saturday after getting honored Thursday night for breaking Wayne Gretzky's career goals record, and No. 1 defenseman John Carlson got the night off Sunday.

“We’re just looking at it from an individual preparation standpoint," Carbery said. "John, a veteran player. (He has) played a lot this year. I think he’s played every single game. We’re playing a back to back. I feel like it’s important for him to not play both and take today off.”

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