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There will be no season-series sweep for you this year, Montreal: Capitals beat Canadiens 4-3

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📸: @BigMouthShea/X

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The Washington Capitals traveled up to Quebec to try and stave off a season-series sweep from the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. These two teams seem to always have fun games against each other and the Bell Centre is the best arena in the league when it comes to atmosphere.

Anthony Mantha opened the scoring in his home province. Arber Xhelaj tied the game back up only moments later with a long-range blast past Darcy Kuemper. TJ Oshie converted on a power-play opportunity to give Washington the lead once more. Alex Newhook scored the only goal in the second period to tie the game again.

The returning Sonny Milano knocked home another leading goal for the Capitals early in the third. Nick Suzuki put away his 20th of the season to make things level yet again. Aliaksei Protas cleaned up a rebound in front to grab the Capitals’ fourth of the game.

Capitals beat Canadiens 4-3!

  • Both teams came out playing a super fast-paced first period that was highly entertaining to watch as a viewer and probably terrible to watch as a coach. The refs robbed the Capitals of an early power play but they scored soon after anyway and then got an actual power-play goal later in the frame to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. I wish all of their games this season were this fun to watch.
  • That TJ Oshie power-play goal, his 300th career NHL goal, was an absolute masterpiece of power-play work. The only problem is that there are 30 games left in the season and that’s the first time we’ve really seen the first unit set up and convert like that. Almost like watching a completely different team. Where the heck has that been?
  • The Capitals, unfortunately, lost top-pairing defenseman Martin Fehervary to a lower-body injury early in the first period. Fehervary caught a rut or something behind the Capitals’ net and was in clear discomfort making his way off of the ice. Those non-contact injuries are always scary. Let’s hope it’s just a precautionary thing.

  • The second period was more of the same but the two goaltenders stood tall on the main tests they faced. Darcy Kuemper got some tough luck when Alex Newhook’s shot was blocked and the puck landed right back on his tape. I didn’t love how the Capitals ended either of the first two periods. Way too much puck watching and too many nothing plays.
  • Anthony Mantha loves scoring goals against the Montreal Canadiens. His first-period tally was the 11th of his career against the Habs and he has not scored more goals against any other team in the league. The Canadiens should simply acquire him and he might score 50 in a season.
  • Alex Ovechkin was talking about retirement again recently and I would really like for him to stop doing that. Just play forever like Jaromir Jagr, please.
  • Someone, please stop Auston Matthews. Another hat trick for him tonight and he’s on pace for a 75-goal season. We’re going to have to hear so much about Matthews, Ovechkin, and Wayne Gretzky if he doesn’t slow down.

  • The Capitals won but I’m actually relatively upset that Alex Ovechkin didn’t get the first shift when the Canadiens pulled Jake Allen. The fourth line took a penalty anyway so it sure looks like that didn’t go as planned anyway. There’s history at stake, Carbs. Yeesh. Ovi’s goal streak ends at six games.
  • Sonny Milano made his return from injury after being out of action for over two months. Milano was the recipient of a great feed from Max Pacioretty early in the third period and he deftly deflected home his fifth marker of this season. Pacioretty was definitely noticeable overall in his third-ever return to Montreal in a visiting sweater as head coach Spencer Carbery assumed he would be pregame.
  • Not a fan of the officiating in this game at all. They bungled that first-period call, gave John Carlson that soft slashing minor in the third, and called the Capitals for icing while on a penalty kill. Simple consistency is all I normally ask for.

The Capitals have the day off on Sunday and will play next at home against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

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