The Montreal Canadiens knew the playoffs would be tough, but Game 1 against the Washington Capitals showed just how challenging this series could be. The Capitals came out strong and used their size and playoff experience to beat the young Canadiens 3-2 in overtime on Monday night at Capital One Arena.
While Montreal managed to fight back late in the third period, Washington had already done most of the damage. The Capitals dominated physically, and the Canadiens couldn’t keep up until the final few minutes of the game.
Capitals Use Size to Their Advantage
The Capitals started the game aggressively, throwing big hits and targeting Montreal’s smaller, skilled players. Rookies like defenseman Lane Hutson and goal scorer Cole Caufield had a hard time handling the pressure.
Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev hit Brendan Gallagher in the face with a cross-check, and veteran Alex Ovechkin led the team with seven hits. Rookie Ryan Leonard also made his presence felt, roughing up Hutson along the boards. This led to a Canadiens penalty and Ovechkin scoring the game’s first goal on the power play.
By the end of the night, the Capitals had outhit the Canadiens 42 to 33.
Canadiens Coach Stays Positive
Despite the rough start, Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis was mostly pleased with how his team finished.
“We knew we’d have to handle the pressure and physical style of the game,” he said after the loss. “We got better as the game went on, and I thought it was a pretty good first game. But unfortunately, we didn’t win.”
Montreal’s late-game push almost changed the result, but the game-winning goal came just under three minutes into overtime. A defensive mistake saw rookie Ivan Demidov and Patrik Laine matched up against Washington’s top line, and Ovechkin took full advantage to seal the win.
Should Canadiens Add Arber Xhekaj for Game 2?
One possible change for Game 2 is adding Arber Xhekaj to the lineup. The 24-year-old defenseman is one of the team’s most physical players, with 180 hits in 70 games this season. However, he hasn’t played much recently, getting into only one game in the last three weeks.
St-Louis has preferred to use Jayden Struble, but Xhekaj’s toughness might be needed if the Capitals keep playing this rough. Still, a single player likely won’t be enough if the team as a whole can’t handle the pressure.
Montembeault the Key to Keeping the Series Close
Goaltender Samuel Montembeault was one of the few bright spots for the Canadiens in Game 1. He made 29 saves on 32 shots and kept the team in the game. If he continues to play well, Montreal might stay competitive in the series.
Some fans are hoping he can repeat the magic of Jaroslav Halak’s 2010 playoff run, where Halak helped the Canadiens pull off big upsets with incredible goaltending.
Looking Ahead to Game 2
Game 2 is on Wednesday, and the Canadiens are hoping for a stronger start and more pushback against Washington’s physical game. Whether or not Xhekaj joins the lineup remains to be seen, but it’s clear Montreal will need more than just effort—they’ll need discipline, better defense, and continued top-level goaltending to tie the series.
