Logan Thompson, Aliaksei Protas injury update: Capitals could receive big boost for crucial game 4 against Canadiens

Major reinforcements could be on the way for the Washington Capitals.

Star goaltender Logan Thompson and breakout forward Aliaksei Protas are both trending in the right direction towards playing in a pivotal Game 4 against the Montreal Canadiens Sunday night.

Thompson (lower body) left Game 3 late in the third period following a painful-looking collision with Dylan Strome, while Protas (foot) has been out since April 4 due to a skate blade cut on the top of his foot. Both players took part in Sunday's full morning skate and will return to the Capitals lineup, assuming there are no setbacks prior to puck drop.

Head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed the news during his pregame media availability on Sunday morning. Team reporter Bailey Johnson shared the update on X (formerly Twitter).

"Spencer Carbery says they’ll see how both Aliaksei Protas and Logan Thompson are feeling this afternoon. Essentially, they’ll be game-time decisions," Johnson wrote.

Logan Thompson put together a Vezina-caliber first season in Washington, with a 31-6-6 record, a 2.49 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and two shutouts. He signed a six-year, $35,100,000 contract extension with the Capitals that will start in 2025-26.

Aliaksei Protas broke out in a major way in his fourth NHL season, racking up a career-high 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists) in 76 games. He is in the first season of the five-year, $16,875,000 contract extension signed with the Caps in 2024.

The Capitals are looking to reclaim control of the series

The Washington Capitals have the opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens with a win in Game 4 on Sunday night.

After holding serve with wins in Games 1 and 2 on home ice, the Caps were unable to weather the storm in Game 3, outshot 40-21 in a 6-3 loss. The atmosphere at the Bell Centre was electric and will pose another major challenge for Washington in Game 4.

A road victory on Sunday would bring the Capitals back home with the chance to punch their ticket to the second round in Game 5 on Wednesday night. Logan Thompson and Aliaksei Protas' potential returns will greatly benefit their chances of doing so.

The Caps will be back in action for Game 4 of their first-round series with the Canadiens on Sunday night in Montreal. The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. EST at the Bell Centre.