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Live blog: Washington Capitals play Montreal Canadiens in Saturday Night showdown

By Ian Oland

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October 21, 2023 7:04 pm

Our dear, last-place-in-the-Metropolitan-Division Washington Capitals, are back for another game as they try to find their mojo (not Marcus Johansson) north of the border under Spencer Carbery. The team has not held a lead three games into the year. They haven’t scored a power-play goal. Alex Ovechkin has not registered a shot in the last two games for the first time in his career.

Enter Montreal, who is not good, and whom Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick against last year and took a pic with all their moms. Will this be the elixir the Capitals need? I sure hope so.

Puck drop is a little after 7 pm. The game can be watched on Monumental Network.

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Lines

Hardy Häman Aktell is making his NHL Debut

1st Period

Capitals go to the first power play, trying to break their 0 for 8 skid to start the season.

Alex Ovechkin’s shotless streak officially ends at two games with a first period shot on the power play.

Three shots through the first 13 minutes of play.

Capitals’ second power play arguably their best one all season.

Montreal now dominating play at 5v5.

🚨 1-0 Habs. Sean Monahan scores on Montreal’s first power play of the night with Alex Ovechkin the box for slashing. The goal came 18:55 into the period.

The Caps outshot the Canadiens 12-5. But Montreal had the better of the 5v5 play, out-attempting them 15-9. At all strengths, the Capitals lead in expected goals 1.84 to 0.71.

2nd Period

The Caps are now 0 for 11 on the power play to start the season.

🚨 2-0 Habs. Brendan Gallagher scores crashing the net. The goal came 9:49 into the period at 5v5.

The Capitals are leading in shots 25 to 18 and seem destined to hit the 30-shot mark for the first time this year. But it’s a bit of a mirage. They are getting out-attempted by the Habs 38 to 31 at 5v5. The Habs are destroying them in high-danger chances at 5v5, 13-6.

3rd Period

The Capitals are now 0 for 13 to start the year on the power play.

🚨 2-1 Habs. Dylan Strome finally gets the Caps on the board via a much-need five-on-five goal. Alex Ovechkin gets the primary assist. Matthew Phillips gets the secondary one. The goal came at the 11:23 mark of the third.

Connor McMichael with multiple chances in front of the net.

🚨 2-2. Evgeny Kuznetsov finds Dylan Strome wide open after skating around the Habs net and sending a centering pass on his backhand. The goal came at the 17:59 mark of the third.

The Capitals got a much-needed standings point but still have not held a lead for the fourth-straight game.

Overtime

Cole Caufield ends it quickly in overtime after a bad change by the Capitals. Tom Wilson got dusted and Caufield beat Darcy Kuemper short side. It only took 38 seconds.

The Caps outshot the Canadiens 32-28 but were out-attempted 47-43, out-chanced 29-24, and out-high-danger-chanced 15-11 at 5v5.

You can comment on the game below. Please, keep the conversation kind.

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