The Washington Capitals held off a late push from the Montreal Canadiens and walked away with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win in Game 1 of their first-round series, thanks to a vintage performance from their captain.
Alex Ovechkin delivered in the clutch, scoring his second goal of the night just 2:26 into overtime by knocking a rebound out of midair to give the Capitals a 1-0 series lead. The goal marked Ovechkin’s first career playoff overtime winner — in his 45th try.
“It’s playoff hockey,” Ovechkin said. “It doesn’t matter who scores, but yeah, it feels good to help the team like that.”
Fast Start from the Capitals
Washington looked sharp from the puck drop. Ovechkin opened the scoring late in the first period with a signature power-play wrister from the left circle. The Capitals dictated the pace early, racking up 18 hits in the first period alone and controlling zone time.
Midway through the second period, Anthony Beauvillier tipped an Ovechkin point shot, collected his own rebound, and slipped it five-hole past Sam Montembeault to make it 2-0. The crowd roared as the Capitals appeared to be in full control.
Canadiens Rally in the Third
But the Canadiens flipped the script in the final frame. A power-play opportunity gave Cole Caufield a chance, and he buried a loose puck in the slot to cut the lead in half.
Moments later, a defensive breakdown allowed Nick Suzuki to tie the game. With Capitals goalie Logan Thompson out of position, Suzuki calmly lifted a shot into a wide-open net to force overtime.
“We felt we were getting closer all game,” Suzuki said. “Once we got one, we believed we’d get another.”
Overtime Heroics from the Captain
Just 2:26 into overtime, Ovechkin capped his stellar night. After a faceoff win by Dylan Strome, Beauvillier got a shot on goal, and Ovi tracked the rebound midair and knocked it in to seal the victory.
“That was playoff hockey through and through,” said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery. “We want to make teams earn every inch, and I thought we did that tonight.”
Key Stats & Standouts
- Alex Ovechkin: 2 goals, 1 assist, 7 hits
- Anthony Beauvillier: 1 goal, 1 assist
- Dylan Strome: 3 assists
- Logan Thompson: 33 saves in return from injury
- Sam Montembeault: 29 saves in playoff debut
Historical Notes
- Ovechkin tied Mario Lemieux for 7th all-time in playoff power-play goals (29).
- He also matched Joe Pavelski for 13th all-time in playoff goals (74).
- Lane Hutson became the third Canadiens defenseman in history to earn multiple points in his playoff debut.
Up Next: Game 2
The series continues Wednesday night in Washington before shifting to Montreal for Games 3 and 4. The Capitals will look to build momentum, while the Canadiens aim to bounce back and even the series.