Takeaways: Chychrun, Protas & Thompson Power Capitals Past Bruins

WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals didn't like the way the last game went, nor did they like the first two minutes of action in their New Year's Eve matinee matchup with the Boston Bruins. So they made some changes, and ultimately, turned things around.

Aliaksei Protas and Jakob Chychrun scored, and Logan Thompson stood tall en route to a 3-1 win.

Here are all the takeaways from the victory.

Second Line Of Protas-Dubois-Wilson Sparks Capitals, Protas Strikes Twice

Washington didn't get off to the start it wanted in its New Year's Eve matinee, as the Bruins struck just 1:21 thanks to Justin Brazeau in front. From there, Boston tilted the ice in its favor early, not letting D.C. get clean entries and generating plenty of chances.

Then, the second line helped Washington get into the game, and from there, take over the tempo. Pierre-Luc Dubois got working behind the net and stuck with the puck before feeding Aliaksei Protas in front to make it a 1-1 game later in the frame.

It marked Protas' 15th goal of the season as he continued his stellar run and 70-point pace. Meanwhile, Dubois' primary assist was his 23rd of the season, the second-most on the Capitals, and he now has points in six of his last seven outings overall.

The second line generated plenty of chances for Washington over the course of the night, battling hard and using its size to its advantage.

Then, with the Boston net empty in the final seconds, the second line was put on the ice to shut things down, and Protas sealed the deal with his second goal of the game. It marked his 16th of the year, the second-most on the team.

Jakob Chychrun Continues Hot Run, Power Play Converts Again

With his team on the power play, a red-hot Jakob Chychrun chose to take matters into his own hands, ripping the puck on net and sniping a rocket past Jeremy Swayman to make it 2-1 late in the first.

Chychrun is up to 11 goals on the season, tied for the most in the NHL among defensemen. He also has 17 points in his last 17 games as he continues to be one of the team's most important acquisitions.

The man advantage ended up going 1-for-3, and the team now has power-play goals in four of the last five outings overall.

Thompson, Capitals Lock It Down To Hold Off Bruins

After giving up an early goal against for the third straight game, the Capitals locked things down.

Logan Thompson was mainly to thank, as the 27-year-old held down the fort as D.C. got into the rhythm of the game. He ended the night with 25 saves on 26 shots as he advanced to 14-2-2.

Washington was also strong on the penalty kill, going 2-for-2 while generating a number of shorthanded opportunities.

At the end of the day, the defense took a major step forward from its performance back on Sunday against Detroit, and it paid off.

Top Shelf Takes

- Tom Wilson had two assists and is now three shy of 200 of his career. He also has points in two of his last three games.

- Dylan Strome also has points in two of his last three and is up to 40 points on the season, putting him on pace to finish the campaign with 88 points.

- Martin Fehervary left the game after taking a high stick from Tom Wilson earlier in the third.

- This was the first game Alex Ovechkin didn't score when the team was wearing the Screamin' Eagle sweaters.