First period
- The Capitals get a few shots early, but Montreal is still getting zone time.
- Brendan Gallagher takes a cross-check to the teeth. The ref comes over to the bench to inform Martin St-Louis he’s not calling that one I guess.
- Washington is getting some shots by overpowering a few Habs who aren’t at that level of intensity yet. I think that’s how everyone thought this game would begin.
- Maybe the Capitals are getting a little too cocky. Logan Thompson just tossed the puck to his teammate just in front of the stick of Cole Caufield.
- Alex Newhook sets up one chance for Patrik Laine, who gets slashed on the attempt. Ivan Demidov gets a follow-up before the call is made. Montreal, despite Garry Galley excitedly yelling about how much better Washington has been, will have a chance to score the first goal.
- Nick Suzuki gets a shot from the inside of the right circle. Laine gets one from his office inside the left one. Good chances so far.
- The linesman are being very particular with the faceoffs tonight. Especially when it comes to the Canadiens cheating a tiny bit….
- The penalty is killed. but Montreal gained some confidence with a few scoring chances from both units.
- Suddenly the Capitals aren’t just running around trying to hit everything, because they’re having to play defence.
- The Habs try to execute a change with he puck in their own zone, and play it too nonchalantly, losing possession and allowing a few shots.
- Kaiden Guhle checks his Achilles after getting tangled up in the corner. Looks like his cut-proof pants saved another serious cut.
- Montreal ends up on the penalty kill after all the players on each team get involved in a scrum. I suppose that’s to even up the penalties.
- But then they don’t call Josh Anderson for dragging his leg at the blue line and toppling John Carlson, so we’ll call that even for not calling the cross-check to Gallagher earlier.
- The Canadiens can’t survive the penalty kill as Christian Dvorak lost his coverage and Alexander Ovechkin gets a deflection off David Savard’s leg to fool Samuel Montembeault and open the scoring.
- St-Louis is wondering why there were off-setting minors on the latest scrum when they took two Habs from the last one.
- Matt Roy gives the puck away, and Nick Suzuki has the whole left side to himself, but Thompson makes a blocker save.
- Washington has a one-goal lead after a period. Shots are 14-13 Capitals, making it one of Montreal’s better first periods in the month of April. Nothing to be overly concerned about.
- And this is bonus hockey. Even if it were 5-0, there shouldn’t be concern.
Second period
- Ironically, it’s a sloppier start to the second period than it was in the first.
- The crowd is pretty quiet right now because the Capitals can’t touch the puck.
- Anderson chips the puck down the wall and they gets checked as he goes after it. Textbook interference, but the refs must have missed that chapter.
- Thompson does not want the Suzuki line getting offensive-zone faceoffs. He just tried to play another puck in traffic to avoid a whistle.
- And you can see why. the Capitals are forced to latch onto to any Habs player’s stick when the top line in is their zone.
- Out of nowhere with Montreal getting all the pressure, the Capitals find a second goal. Ovechkin threw the puck to the net, and Anthony Beauvillier had been down in the corner and was the first to find the rebound Montembeault allowed.
- St-Louis thought about challenging for a high stick, but decided against it.
- Caufield deflects a Suzuki shot off the post.
- Suzuki ends the shift with a shot on net. For some reason he gets ragdolled afterward, and that should have been a roughing call.
- More proof that the Capitals are afraid of Montreal’s top line. Really test the limits of what us legal.
- Laine throws a hit on the end boards and his stick hits Nic Dowd as he sweeps by. Can’t get more unlucky than that.
- Hutson picks off a clearing and connects a pass to an open Gallagher, but Gallagher can’t solve Thompson
- Shots 23-21 Washington after 40 minutes, but Washington has been able to get more pucks to the slot for a 19-11 edge in scoring chances.
Third period
- Washington spends the first 63 seconds in Montreal’s zone.
- Caufield tries the wrap the puck around again and Suzuki gets within six feet of the net. Once more the Capitals decide the captain needs a few crosschecks.
- Demidov fakes a pass back as he comes down the wall and forces Thompson to knock the net off with a shot aimed at his ear.
- Demidov plays the puck and Ryan Leonard somersaults him with a slewfoot. No call.
- Anderson had Gallagher wide-open at the side of the net, but his pass from behind the net glanced off the side of it.
- You would think Montreal was getting outshot 45-6 if you only listened to Galley’s commentary for this game.
- Dubois gets stripped of the puck and wildly swings his stick at it, taking down Alexandre Carrier. Montreal will have a power play. That’s one way to break Washington’s trap.
- Laine gets a shot five seconds in, but Thompson makes the save.
- He doesn’t make the save on the second shot. Caufield scores off a blocked Laine shot.
Cole Caufield gets the Habs on the board!
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 21, 2025 at 10:31 PM
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- Hutson gets his first playoff point on the goal.
- Montreal top line is looking very good now. The Capitals can’t even get close to them to grab their sticks.
- It’s all Montreal right now. Washington is in shell mode.
- Thompson tries to play the puck away again, but too late. Here comes the Suzuki line.
- There’s a mad scramble in front, and it went with a Suzuki goal into a vacated net. Followed by the now-canon Subban match-lighting celebration.
Incredible patience and pressure for this tying goal, excellent work from the Habs top line
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 21, 2025 at 10:43 PM
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- I really like how the defence pressed in there and gave the Capitals no room to breathe. I wish they’d do that more on power plays.
- Oh, and another point for Hutson.
- Jake Evans is assessed a four-minute high-sticking penalty for high-sticking. But it was a follow-through on a clearing attempt, so the penalty comes off the board.
- These centre-ice faceoff are serious business tonight.
- Another offensive-zone faceoff. Guess who?
- Montreal almost found a winning goal in the final 20 seconds. Thompson had to really squeeze his post to keep it out.
- A point?
Overtime
- The top line starts with a rare nervous shift.
- Laine gets knocked down as he tries to tip the puck into the Capitals end to get a change. With the puck back in Montreal’s zone, Ovechkin finds the winning goal.
- Washington takes a 1-0 series lead. A lot of positive for the Canadiens to take into Game 2.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) The young veterans
2) The 28-game option is still an option
1) It’s fun to have some extra hockey to discuss
