I shall call it a Dueling Goaltas.
Saturday, both Protas brothers scored on the same day for the first time as members of the Washington Capitals’ organization. Aliaksei, 24, scored during the Washington Capitals’ 5-2 matinee loss to the Detroit Red Wings while 19-year-old Ilya lit the lamp in incredible fashion as the Hershey Bears’ mollywhopped the Bridgeport Islanders, 4-1, later in the night.
Both tallies were skill goals. And both players are Pros.
Ilya Protas goal
Ilya, currently serving as the Bears’ first-line center, scored his 12th goal of his rookie AHL season, hitting the back of the twine with 6:29 remaining. The Belorussian forward dangled the puck through an Islanders defender’s legs before curling the puck to the far post past goaltender Henrik Tikkanen.
“There’s no stopping that,” Bears’ victorious goaltender Mitch Gibson said on the Bears’ telecast. “His reach, it’s not the first time he’s done it. He does it in practice all the time. It’s scary for me during weekdays. Special player, incredible.”
“He’s had a couple like that this year,” added head coach Derek King. “We don’t want him to score like that anymore because we might lose him. He’s going to be a special player. I like how they’re patient with him. It’s not like, ‘Oh, he scored two goals, let’s call him up right away.’ They’re doing it the right way with this kid. If they stick to that, he’s going to be a special player.”
Ilya also added an assist in the game, winning a puck battle along the end boards and finding Andrew Cristall streaking to the net.
Little Pro, wearing his brother’s old number 40, leads Hershey in points with 23 (12g, 11a) and sits fourth in scoring among all AHL rookies. He was a third-round pick of the Capitals in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Aliaksei Protas goal
Meanwhile, Aliaksei ended John Gibson’s shutout bid after hitting the far corner with a snipe down the left wing. The goal was scored 10:36 into the second period and narrowed the Red Wings’ lead to 4-1.
Big Pro now has 12 goals on the season — fourth best on the Capitals — and has 22 points (12g, 10a) in 35 games this season.
He currently plays on the left wing of the Capitals second line. He was a third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
After Ilya Protas’s AHL debut on October 11, I foresaw this moment in history and asked him about it. (His brother scored two goals for the Capitals earlier in the evening.)
“If you and Aliaksei both score on the same night, in the same organization, what should the nickname for it be?” I asked before offering a few suggestions. “A Double Pro? A Dueling Goaltas? Like, what would be a good nickname for it?”
“I don’t know,” Ilya replied laughing. “You guys got better ideas than me, I think.”
A Dueling Protas it is. Congratulations, Protas brothers.
Screenshot: NHL.com
Screenshot: The AHL