Canadiens beat the Capitals 6-3 to
cut their series deficit to 2-1
[April 26, 2025]
MONTREAL (AP) — Christian Dvorak broke a tie at 4:17 of the
third period and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Washington Capitals
6-3 on Friday night to cut their deficit in the first-round series
to 2-1.
Dvorak fired shot from the far left side that hit Washington forward
Brandon Duhaime and deflected past goalie Logan Thompson. Juraj
Slafkovsky made it a two-goal game with 6:37 remaining, with
Capitals forward Dylan Strome crashing into Thompson on the play and
injuring him.
Thompson put no weight on his left skate while being helped off,
leaving his status Sunday night for Game 4 in Montreal in doubt.
“It was tough, obviously, (Strome) is trying to get back and make a
desperate play to save a goal and it’s unfortunate,” Capitals
defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
Montreal also lost its starting goalie, with Sam Montembeault
leaving in the middle of the second period because a lower-body
injury.
Alexandre Carrier, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook also
scored for Montreal.
“We knew we had to turn it up to another level,” Slafkovsky said.
“It was something crazy. I never experienced something like today.
The crowd was amazing, and I hope we can bring more and more playoff
games to this building. This is probably the best feeling.”
Montembeault stopped 11 of 13 shots, and Jakub Dobes made seven
saves on eight shots in relief in his NHL debut.
“You guys cannot imagine how a person feels,” Dobes said. “I was
afraid, I was excited, I was emotional. I was crying at the end. I
was a mess.”
Alex Ovechkin, Connor McMichael, Jakob Chychrun scored for
Washington, with Ovechkin tying it at 3 at 2:29 of the third period.
[to top of second column] |
Washington Capitals' Dylan Strome (17) collides with goaltender
Logan Thompson, bottom, during the third period of Game 3 of a
first-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens
in Montreal, Friday, April 25, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian
Press via AP)
Thompson stopped 30 of 35 shots. Charlie Lindgren
made four saves in five shots.
At the end of the second period, a heated fight between Capitals
forward Tom Wilson and Montreal’s Josh Anderson spilled into
Washington’s bench.
After some pushing and shoving between Montreal defenseman Arber
Xhekaj and Wilson with both benches empty, Anderson got involved and
fell backward into the Capitals’ bench, which had the door open.
Wilson followed Anderson in and charged through a linesman toward
the Canadiens winger while other Montreal and Washington players
exchanged blows on the ice.
“I was on my way to walk across the ice,” Capitals coach Spencer
Carbery said. “Then I had to reverse my course and head back,
because there were two large individuals coming through the door
that I was trying to exit.”
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