First period
- The Dvorak line spends its shift in Washington’s end. The Suzuki lines jumps on and does the same.
- The Capitals all come over to cross-check Suzuki after the whistle as they did last game, but they’re all too tired to do much more than lean on him.
- Washington has to ice the puck versus the Newhook line. Can’t ask for a better start from Montreal, other than scoring a goal.
- Washington is now running interference int the offensive zone trying to do something offensively, and getting away with it.
- Of course Garry Galley would praise Washington for spending two shifts in Montreal’s zone after three shifts in the Capitals’ zone earlier.
- Josh Anderson hits Tom Wilson in the shoulder in the neutral zone, and Wilson bounces himself off the boards to get a call. Anderson then goes back at him, and Wilson drops like he weight about a quarter of what he actually does. Wilson is called for the dive, Anderson gets boarding and cross-checking to put Washington up a man.
- It’s funny how often the crowd boos a clean hit by a Montreal player. They can dish it out but they can’t take it.
- Joel Armia sends the puck to an open Newhook, who completely flubs the shot. If he had any hand skills, he would have at least three goals in this series, possibly including an overtime winner from last game.
- Gallagher can’t get a stick on Newhook’s pass from the corner as it heads right for him.
- Shots were 10-4 Washington, but Montreal probably missed half a dozen chances that would have evened that up. Scoring chances were even at 6-6. Nevertheless, I’m sure we’ll hear all about how heavily Montreal is getting outplayed in the intermission.
Second period
- Despite all the praise coming out of the intermission for Wilson and Alexander Ovechkin hitting everyone he sees, Montreal opens the scoring as both Dvorak and Anderson whack at the puck in the crease. Someone knocked it in, but it doesn’t really matter who.
Brendan Gallagher just wills this puck into the zone, and Christian Dvorak gets a greasy one. 1-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) April 23, 2025 at 9:10 PM
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- Emil Heineman almost immediately makes it 2-0. Good follow-up shift.
- Samuel Montembeault somehow fires his leg out behind him to make a save on a deflection from Dylan Strome.
- It’s all Montreal now. Jayden Struble just had a chance as well.
- Washington ties the game as Connor McMichael tosses the puck out from the side of the net and it rattles off David Savard’s legs and in.
- The defensive coverage disintegrates as Washington’s top line comes on the ice. Dylan Strome is left all alone to walk in on Montembeault to get not just one just, but the rebound as well to deposit into the net.
- Matt Roy is off to the box after breaking his stick over Anderson’s arm.
- Wilson almost scores another goal for the Capitals short-handed, but Montembeault’s feet are dancing again.
- McMichael flops to the ice trying to draw a tripping call. The ref saw that there was no stick in McMichael’s feet, but he sure saw the dive, and should have called it.
- Not an ideal showing from the power play, which generates zero shots.
- The Canadiens are having some issues getting the puck in the own end, chasing puck-carriers again instead of occupying lanes, like they did earlier in the season.
- Lots of Capitals features on Sportsnet tonight.
- Montreal looks like a tired team right now, unable to win any races to the puck.
- Even the top-line players just flipping pucks out of the zone instead of making plays.
- The Dvorak line musters up some energy for an offensive attack, and Dvorak gets taken out at centre ice by Nic Dowd to draw a call.
- The power play tries to set Laine up, but he passes on a couple of one-time setups from Hutson and only takes one shot that Thompson stops.
- That period wasn’t so even in terms of scoring chances: 16-8 Washington. It’s going to take a lot for the Canadiens to pull off a comeback tonight.
Third period
- Brendan Gallagher takes another stick in the face. The ref doesn’t call it. That’s two they’ve refused to call in this series.
- Montreal is getting some time on offence, like they did in the third period in Game 1.
- Laine hasn’t played a shift, which may be as much about passing up those one-timers on the power play than anything.
- Jake Evans has the tying goal on his stick. All he has to do is hit the empty net from six feet away. He hits the post.
- Dvorak tosses the puck up to Anderson for a mini break. Thompson stops the shot.
- Slafkovský’s skate lands on the arm of Thompson. Thompson is fearful of a cut, but realizes he’s okay.
- Washington is just trying to hang on. It’s Game 1 all over again.
- Thompson makes a toe save very similar to the one Montembeualt made earlier in the game.
- Washington gets out of a net-front scramble with the top line on the ice by cross-checking Caufield in the face. How is it debatable whether a cross-check to the face is a penalty or not?
- Montreal gets several chances with the empty net, but Thompson stops the shots he sees. Maybe the story if different if Montreal had had that late power play.
- McMichael hits the empty net to make this a 3-1 final.
- Off to Montreal, where the Canadiens will have the benefit of last change.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) It is time to turn things over to the young guys
2) Something tells me that will be different in Game 3
1) Definitely two different rulebooks being used
