Photo: JustSports Photography/Hershey Bears

Welcome to week three of the Washington Capitals prospects weekend recaps. Below you will find all of the latest news and information for Capitals prospects for week three of the 2019-2020 hockey season. (You can always access any of our prospect news and analysis in the menu at the top of the page). Let’s go!

PREVIOUS RECAPS

• Week 2 Recap: here.
• Week 1 Recap: here.

HERSHEY BEARS
The Hershey Bears opened the season with a pair of losses on home ice. Saturday night was a 4-3 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Sunday night was 2-1 (OT) loss to the Providence Bruins.

Alexander Alexeyev wasted no time in finding the scoresheet in his first professional game Saturday night at Giant Center. He would dent the twine on his first shot of his very first shift as a pro. The goal was setup by a beautiful backhanded cross-ice feed from Capitals forward prospect Garret Pilon. More on Alexeyev’s first pro tally can be found here.

Alexeyev did get caught out of position in Sunday night’s loss to the Bruins. In the clip below, you see Alexeyev’s man cross to the middle of the ice for an open shot and score. You can see Alexeyev entering from the left trying to get to the slot, but he is too late.

Shane Gersich
Shane Gersich had a good game Saturday against the Penguins. His game was quick, and at times even physical. The play below shows a good example of a part of a shift for Gersich.

Thought #CapsProspect Shane Gersich had a good game last night, played w/urgency. Here on breakaway with Leason, Pens break-up centering pass to Gersich, but Gersich turns & zeros in on puck, steals it from Pens (after video freeze) drives to net, backhand dish to Djoos for score pic.twitter.com/IkoTejNVyA

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) October 6, 2019

Sunday night’s tilt did not go as well for Gersich. He was called for a pair of penalties in the first five minutes of the second period, and was held off of the scoresheet. More here.

Lucas Johansen
The season has not started well for Lucas Johansen. After a below-par season opener, he was a healthy scratch on Sunday night. Johansen was beat to the puck, and pushed off the puck for the eventual game-winning goal on Saturday.

LuJo beat in the zone. Pens take a 4-2 lead. pic.twitter.com/oy4dE4R5qw

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) October 6, 2019

With Martin Fehervary now re-assigned to Hershey, playing time for Johansen may become much more limited. It just one game, but he needs to turn things around and as soon as possible.

Garret Pilon
Garret Pilon probably gave papa Rich a smile on Sunday. Pilon would drop the gloves with the much bigger Jeremy Lauzon at 8:12 of the second period. Pilon applied a (legal) physical hit to Lauzon just prior, and Lauzon was not happy about it.

Pheonix Copley
Copley was strong in his return to Hershey, getting the start against the Bruins on Sunday.

JUNIORS/CHL

Connor McMichael
McMichael was back on the scoresheet in the fifth game of the season on Friday night versus the Ottawa 67’s. He would score one goal and register one assist in the Knights 3-0 win. His tally would come at 10:53 of the second period.

McMichael and the Knights were also involved in a line brawl at the end of the game.

McMichael and the Knights had the remainder of the weekend off. To date, McMichael has eight goals and 12 assists in five games played so far this season.

Aliaksei Protas
Protas had an assist in Friday night’s tilt with the Saskatoon Blades. He was 9 for 20 from the dot and a +1 on four shots. Protas was held off the scoresheet on Sunday. He was a +1 on three shots and was 5 for 8 from the dot. He continues to center the Raiders third line. Protas now has three goals and five assists (8 points) in six games played so far this season.

Eric Florchuk
Erik Florchuk finally returned to the lineup on Sunday, after missing five games due to a hit he sustained (upper body) in the first period of the season opener.

Raiders with a very physical start against the Blades, six minutes into this one. This is the best one thus far, Justin Nachbaur finding Eric Florchuk in the neutral zone. Clark’s had a few good ones too. https://t.co/mdCDxRGpo1 pic.twitter.com/Hl1YJsbtVM

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) September 21, 2019

Florchuk returned to center the top line, where he was on opening night.

OTHER PROSPECT NEWS

Martin Hugo Has – Has scored his first professional goal on Wednesday, 10/2.

#Capitals prospect Martin Hugo Has scores his first goal as a pro for @tampereenkoovee in the #Mestis. pic.twitter.com/dv0ogYbgyD

— Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) October 2, 2019

Damien Riat – Riat scored his first goal of the season on Saturday.

By Jon Sorensen

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