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Ovi and Price put on a show in Montreal |
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Alex Ovechkin scored a pair of goals as the Washington Capitals escaped Montreal with a 5-4 OT win at Bell Center on Monday night as the injury plagued squad played another game without forwards TJ Oshie and Evgeny Kuznestov and defenceman Brooks Orpik. The win ends a successful four-game road trip as the Caps head home winning three of four with wins over Montreal, Colorado and Minnesota losing only to Winnipeg. It also marks only the second time this year the Capitals have won two games in a row.
Montreal held most of the play to start the game and the Capitals slow start cost them midway through the period at 9:20 when the Canadiens opened the scoring to take the lead 1-0 on a nifty Mike Reilly goal. Reilly made a nice play as he deked around Devante Smith-Pelley and went in and put the puck in shortside high on Caps starter Pheonix Copley. The Caps defensive zone coverage was bad on the play as Reilly had plenty of ice to work with.
Arturri Lehkonen almost gave the Habs a two goal lead immediately after the opening goal as Copley had to make a nice save on a breakaway to keep the game within one. Canadiens defenceman Noah Juulsen had a bout of bad luck and left the game after a scary incident when the puck hit him in the face for a second time as he tried to block a shot with his stick and it deflected up under his visor. Juulsen had already been hit in the same place with the puck minutes earlier on a shot by Michal Kempny.
The Capitals tied the game 1-1 just under four minutes later at the 13:16 mark on Brett Connolly’s 3rd of the year. The versatile winger has played up and down the lineup and continues to be a bright spot for the Caps. John Carlson fired a shot from the point that deflected off the boards and Connolly was able to bury it past Canadiens starter Carey Price.
Caps then made it 2-1 when Tom Wilson made a great pass to Ovechkin who redirected the puck past Price who had no chance on the play for his 14th on the season. Wilson has looked good since his return off suspension which would have originally ended today had an arbitrator not lessened the punishment by 6 games.Montreal was the better team for most of the 1st period however and finished leading the shot clock 18-8 and they extended their fast play into the start of the second period.
The Capitals came out sluggish and were blitzed for three goals in the first 95 seconds of the second period. The Capitals led the NHL in second period scoring coming into the game with 28 goals so this was not a good sign.
Brendan Gallagher tied the game 2-2 on a tip in shot just 20 seconds in. Gallagher scored his 10th of the year as he drove hard to the net and redirected a nice backhand pass by Philip Danault. Madison Bowey then took a penalty and the Capitals penalty kill unit still looking for consistency wasn’t able to hold off a bad Montreal power play that was 28th coming into the game. Jeff Petry scored his 2nd of the year at 1:08 on the power play to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead. The Montreal defenseman jammed in a rebound in a crowded crease as Copley could not cover up the puck. Montreal went up 4-2 just 27 seconds later at 1:35 as Kenny Agostino scored his 1st of the year as he tipped in shot from the point. It marked the end of Copley’s night as Coach Todd Reirden inserted Braden Holtby back into the net to jump start the Caps though Copley, who has played well of late, couldn’t be entirely faulted.
The Capitals were able to settle the game down before the end of the 2nd period and pull within one when Nicklas Backstrom scored his 6th to make it 4-3 as he fired a deflected pass from Christian Djoos past Price. Max Domi and Dmitry Orlov squared off late in the period in battle of welterweights.
The Capitals didn’t take long to tie the game 4-4 in the 3rd as Montreal took a penalty 52 seconds into the period. The league’s 4th best power play took advantage of the Montreal penalty and Ovechkin scored his second of the night and 15th on the year. The power play marker was Ovechkin’s 236th PP goal which is the most ever pp goals scored with one franchise passing Pittsburgh great Mario Lemieux. Ovechkin also now has 31 goals in 52 career games vs Montreal.
Carey Price made a huge save on Ovechkin late in the 3rd to preserve at least a point for Montreal as the star and former Vezina winner dove across his crease to rob Ovechkin of a hattrick and likely game winner. Ovechkin was so impressed he clapped his hands and gave Price a high five as the two superstars tried to continue to outdo each other.
The teams played a back and forth extra frame of three on three OT and at the 3:34 mark Lars Eller scored his 4th of the year to give the Capitals the 5-4 win and give the Caps consecutive wins for only the second time this year.
The Capitals win put them back into 3rd in the Metro division with 23 points sitting three back of the leader Columbus but with a game in hand. The next game is Wednesday night where the Capitals return home to Capital One arena to face the Chicago Blackhawks. Game time is 7PM EST.
Washington Capitals Blogger • 
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