The Montreal Canadiens dropped their second contest in three nights, losing to Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals 6-3 on Thursday.
Following an embarrassing loss on home ice to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens hit the road to visit Washington, D.C., where Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals doubled them up 6-3.
After a scoreless first, the two teams tallied six goals in the second to head into the third tied 3-3. That's when the wheels fell off, and the Canadiens surrendered three goals, including Ovechkin's 858th lamplighter, as the Capitals dominated the final 20 minutes.
Let's discuss a few things from Thursday's loss.
It Was a Close Game Until It Wasn't
As the first period wound down, the Capitals outshot the Canadiens 7-6, and neither team scored a goal. However, the middle frame was wild, with each club tallying three goals a piece, and Montreal lost a 2-1 lead.
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Despite Suzuki's goal to tie the contest at 3-3, the Capitals began to outplay the Canadiens, which showed on the shot clock at 20-12. By the time the final period started, it was all downhill for Montreal, who only managed four shots while surrendering three goals on 14 shots in 20 minutes.
Even though the Canadiens hung in with a surprisingly improved 7-2-0 Washington team, the visitors imploded in 20 minutes, securing their second lopsided loss in three days.
Three Goals on 16 Shots
As mentioned, Montreal could not get anything going against their former goalie, Charlie Lindgren, who walked away with a .813 SV%, making just 13 stops on 16 shots.
Although he got beat by one of the NHL's leading goal scorers, Cole Caufield, Lindgren was hardly busy, facing just four shots in the final frame. Moreover, it's not like the Capitals' defense stood in the line of fire all night since they finished with just 22 blocked shots, two less than the Canadiens at 24.
Ultimately, this contest turned when Montreal packed up their game after two periods and let the home team dominate them in 20 minutes, stealing a victory since the two clubs were tied at 3-3.
Unfortunately, after playing solid for two periods, Cayden Primeau was left alone and forced to stand on his head to salvage a 6-3 loss, which could have been much worse.
Special Team Continues to Save Montreal From Embassament
Through eleven games, the Canadiens have scored a power play in nine, clicking at 22.0%, the 11th-best total in the NHL. Meanwhile, their penalty kill remains a strength, thanks to killing off 83.3% of their infractions.
On Thursday, the Capitals only went 1-for-5 on the man advantage, while Montreal's power play went 1-for-6. Had any of those numbers been different, there's a chance the game would have had a different outcome.
Either win or lose, Montreal would be in a much deeper hole regarding their place in the standings if it wasn't for their continuous success on special teams.
Considering the Canadiens' next opponent is the lowly Pittsburgh Penguins, their special teams should significantly influence Saturday's contest.
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