The Ducks got their third straight goal from a defenseman when Mintyukov's shot from just below the blue line went off Thompson's glove and into the net to tie it 3-3 at 4:26 of the third period, but the Capitals moved back ahead 31 seconds later when Protas scored from in front of the crease for a 4-3 lead at 4:57.

Aliaksei Protas had the first hat trick of his NHL career, Alex Ovechkin and Pierre-Luc Dubois each had three points and the Washington Capitals extended their winning streak to five, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 7-4 on Tuesday night.

From the get-go, it looked like the Washington Capitals' tilt with the Anaheim Ducks would turn into a high-scoring, run-and-gun affair — and that's exactly what happened. Thankfully for D.C., the Capitals were on the right side of it in the end thanks to Aliaksei Protas.