Meeting the Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals] in the first round of the playoffs was a tall order for the Montreal Canadiens. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] The Habs struggled against a Washington team that was chasing the goal record for Alexander Ovechkin. In the three-game season series, the Caps outscored the Habs 12-8, and Montreal finished with a 1-2-0 record on the season against their playoff rival. The first duel was on October 31, and the Canadiens were in the second game of a six-game losing streak. Taking on the Capitals at Capital One Arena, Montreal only took 16 shots on goal while Washington tested Cayden Primeau 34 times. Each team scored three goals in the middle frame, but the Capitals scored three unanswered goals in the final frame to skate away with the 6-3 win. Canadiens: Hutson’s Big Payday Will Come [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/o1Kxa9FuJIGwD3fLWIO5] Canadiens Had Their Way With The Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/vmObHGgosYZAJyBdYRQi] Canadiens Defender Has Become Key Piece [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-defender-has-become-key-piece] On December 7, this time at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens were once again outplayed as the Caps had a 35-24 edge in shots on goal in the 4-2 win. Montreal took a 2-0 lead in the first frame, but they were unable to prevent the comeback as Washington stormed to a 4-2 win with four unanswered goals. The Habs bounced back on January 10, however, and with Jakub Dobes in the net, they dominated in shots 30-17 and were able to come back from behind after Jakob Chychrun had scored the first goal less than three minutes into the game. Cole Caufield tied up the score while Josh Anderson gave Montreal the lead with a shorthanded marker. Lars Eller tied up the game at the start of the third, but Nick Suzuki gave the Habs the win in the extra frame with helpers from Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson. Tom Wilson and Aleksei Protas led the charge for the Caps in the season series with four points each, while Ovechkin had three. As for the Habs, it was the captain who stood out with five points, followed by Caufield and Hutson, who had four points each. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, Suzuki was unable to have a similar offensive output in the playoffs as he was limited to two points in the postseason. Speaking of the postseason, the Caps made short work of the Canadiens, eliminating them in just five games and outscoring them 18-12 in the process. Washington’s dominance wasn’t just on the scoreboard, however, since their physical play made life tough for the Habs’ skills player, making Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton realize that their team needed to get tougher and bigger. The Caps lost some good pieces this offseason as Andrew Mangiapane signed a two-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers, [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers] Taylor Raddysh joined the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] on a two-year contract, and Lars Eller, who returned to Washington in November, won’t have stayed for long as he joined the Ottawa Senators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators] on a one-year pact. T.J. Oshie, who sat out last season, officially retired as well. Washington resigned Anthony Beauvillier and acquired Justin Sourdif and Declan Chisholm, and it doesn’t look like there will be many more additions this offseason. The young Habs will no doubt be looking to avenge their early playoff exit when they meet the Caps for the first time of the season on November 20. While the Capitals are no longer the powerhouse that they once were, they remain a strong team with plenty of experience and are tough to play. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
