Washington witnessed an exciting night of hockey as Alex Ovechkin delivered a crucial overtime goal, securing the Washington Capitals a 3-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens in their opening playoff match on Monday night.
Fresh from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s longstanding record for most goals in NHL history a mere 15 days earlier, Ovechkin netted his second goal of the night just 3:26 into overtime. His performance allowed the Capitals, the Eastern Conference’s top seed, to claim victory despite allowing their initial lead to slip away in the third period. Remarkably, throughout the evening, the Capitals engaged in a physically aggressive game, outmuscling the less seasoned Canadiens with numerous solid hits.
The night, however, was far from straightforward for Washington. A penalty from Pierre-Luc Dubois paved the path for Cole Caufield to spark a comeback for Montreal, cutting the Capitals’ lead with 9:28 remaining in regulation. A defensive lapse then allowed Nick Suzuki to score with only 4:15 left on the clock, exploiting an open net when Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, disrupted by teammate Connor McMichael, found himself displaced trying to block the puck.
Luckily for Washington, Ovechkin’s decisive goal not only awarded them a 1-0 lead in the series but also marked their first playoff win since May 7, 2022. During regulation, another goal came from Anthony Beauvillier, and goaltender Thompson, returning to action after an injury from a game against Carolina, made 33 saves.
Opposing goaltender Sam Montembeault shone brightly in his Stanley Cup playoff debut for the Canadiens, effectively stopping 29 of 31 shots.
Looking ahead, the series continues with Game 2 slated for Wednesday night in Washington, after which the teams will head to Montreal for Games 3 and 4, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, respectively.