Terrifying moment: Aliaksei Protas knocked out of game after violent collision with Nic Dowd

With just over a minute left in the first period, Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon delivered a shove from behind on Aliaksei Protas along the boards in Washington’s zone.

The contact forced Protas forward with no time to react, and he went directly into Nic Dowd — a former teammate — in a heavy, awkward collision.

Trainers rushed out as the situation quickly became concerning. Dowd was visibly bleeding from a cut above his eyebrow, while Protas struggled just to get up, briefly reaching his skates before collapsing back down.

They were both escorted off the ice. Whle Dowd returned after the intermission, patched up and ready to go, Protas didn’t.

The Capitals later confirmed he would not return due to an upper-body injury, adding another worrying moment to a season where he has already missed time.

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Before the incident, Protas had been heavily involved. He logged 6:27 in the first period, the highest among Washington forwards, and made an early impact by setting up Dylan Strome for a quality chance that rang off the post.

The momentum shift didn’t stop with the collision.

Dowd, facing his former team for the first time since being traded at the deadline, came back with purpose. Midway through the second period, he struck shorthanded, igniting a sudden surge for Vegas. Just 25 seconds later, Rasmus Andersson followed with another shorthanded goal on the same penalty kill, flipping the game on its head.

For Protas, the hit adds to a growing list of hard knocks this season, including another dangerous collision earlier in the year. With 47 points in 69 games entering the night, he has been a key piece for the Capitals.

Now, his status becomes another storyline to watch.