A three-game homestand continues with another win for the Washington Capitals following a 6-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday to extend the winning streak to five games at Capital One Arena. Washington improves to 7-2-0 on the season with Montreal dropping to 4-6-1.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had fingerprints all over the victory with a goal and two assists. Tom Wilson scored for the first time in four games since his blazing-hot start to 2024. Charlie Lindgren allowed three second-period goals but shut the door once Washington regained the lead early in the third.
Second Period Features Six Scores
Following a first period with no scoring, the second frame in Washington, D.C. was an offensive blitz from both teams. Each side scores three times with each team scoring in quick succession in the period. Alex Ovechkin fired a shot pass from his left-side circle office on the Power Play that was redirected by Tom Wilson past Montreal starting goalie Cayden Primeau. For Wilson, it is his first goal in five games after starting the season with five goals.
Montreal seized momentum back on their own Power Play on a Cole Caufield shot for his NHL-leading 10th goal of the season to tie the game at one. Caufield is tied with New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier atop the NHL leaderboard. Thirty-eight seconds later, the Canadiens secured a 2-1 lead with Brandon Gallagher’s blast that said past the outstretched pad of Captials netminder Charlie Lindgren.
A minute later, the Washington Capitals scored back-to-back goals, wrestling the lead right back for the home fans at 3-2. Brandon Duhaime scored his first of the year to tie the game at 11:45, followed by a Jakub Vrana goal at 12:39. Montreal’s Nick Suzuki’s fourth goal of the season with two minutes left tied the game at 3-3.
Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said post-game the second intermission conversation was crucial to the win. “In between the second and the third, we had a very just blunt conversation about what needed to change for us to get two points. It just wasn’t very clean tonight.”
Washington Capitals Sieze Win in the Third Period
Taking the ice in the final frame, Carybery’s team listened to the bench boss’ message according to Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. “When we had our first shift right away, it set the tone,” claimed Washington’s superstar. “The kind of play, our style of game, controlling the puck, (and) playing physical.”
Connor McMichael continued his exceptional start to 2024 with his fifth goal at 4:21 of the third period to unlock the tie game in Washington’s favor, 4-3. Belarussian center Aliaksei Protas scored his third goal of the season 36 seconds later to provide some insurance on the scoreboard at 5-3.
Alex Ovechkin Finishes Scoring for Washington
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin put the game away at 12:27 of the third period to end the scoring at 6-3. Ovechkin notched his fifth goal of the season and 858th in the regular season for his career. Ovechkin skates one notice closer needing 36 goals to tie Wayne Gretzky, and 37 goals to set a new all-time career regular season record for the next generation of NHL scorers to chase.
Ovechkin’s next chance to add to his goal total is tomorrow night featuring an early evening start time. The Washington Capitals welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets to Capital One Arena to end the three-game homestay for the Washington Capitals at 5 PM EST.
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