MONTREAL — Christian Dvorak struck in the third period, propelling the Montreal Canadiens to a 6-3 triumph over the Washington Capitals, narrowing the series gap to 2-1. Dvorak’s decisive shot from the left side ricocheted off Washington’s Brandon Duhaime, altering course past goalie Logan Thompson. Shortly after, Juraj Slafkovsky extended Montreal’s lead to two goals with just over six minutes on the clock. During that play, Capitals forward Dylan Strome collided with Thompson, resulting in an injury that cast doubt on Thompson’s availability for Sunday’s Game 4 in Montreal.
“It’s challenging,” noted Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun. “(Strome) was hustling to prevent a goal. It’s just an unfortunate situation.”
The Canadiens faced their own injury troubles as starting goalie Sam Montembeault exited in the second period with a lower-body issue. Alexandre Carrier, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Alex Newhook also contributed goals for Montreal.
“We realized we needed to elevate our game,” Slafkovsky remarked. “The experience today was unlike anything else. The fans were incredible, and I hope we can continue bringing playoff excitement to this venue. This feeling is unmatched.”
In Montembeault’s absence, he stopped 11 of 13 attempts before Jakub Dobes took over, making seven saves on eight shots during his NHL debut.
“The emotions were overwhelming,” Dobes admitted. “There was fear, excitement, and a flood of emotions. By the end, I found myself in tears.”
For Washington, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McMichael, and Jakob Chychrun found the back of the net. Ovechkin managed to level the score at 3 early in the third.
Capitals goalie Thompson blocked 30 out of the 35 shots he faced, with Charlie Lindgren stepping in to save four of five attempts.
A fiery altercation marked the end of the second period. Capitals’ Tom Wilson clashed with Josh Anderson from Montreal, leading to a scuffle near the Washington bench. Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj and Wilson exchanged shoves causing Anderson to topple over into the Capitals’ open bench door.
Wilson was quick to follow Anderson in, pushing through a linesman amidst the chaos as other players from both teams engaged in skirmishes on the ice.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery recounted, “I intended to cross the rink, but my plans changed when two hefty players stormed through the exit I aimed for.”