📸: RMNB
The Washington Capitals are back on the ice at Bell Centre after a spicy Game 3 that saw fists fly between two opposing players on their own bench.
The Canadiens used the chaos and energy to their advantage, defeating the Capitals 6-3 and narrowing the first-seeded Caps’ series lead to 2-1. Montreal will need another huge effort like that to even the series.
The Capitals will return Logan Thompson in net after the goaltender got high-sticked in the helmet, took a shot off the side of the net, and run-over by Dylan Strome — the latter of which knocked him out of Game 3. Aliaksei Protas, who has been fully practicing, will remain out of the lineup, but appears eligible to return at any time.
Jakub Dobes will start in net for Sam Montembeault, who also left Game 3 with an injury. Habs enforcer Arber Xhekaj will remain in the lineup.
Puck drop for Game 4 is at 6:30 pm on Monumental Sports Network. Joe B and Alan May have the call. Craig Laughlin is missing the games in Montreal due to his health not being “100%.” Let’s go Caps!
Lines
Washington Capitals
Montreal Canadiens
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped and it is just as loud as Game 3.
Brandon Duhaime loses his stick after a big hit at neutral ice.
Alex Alexeyev to the box at 2:47 for interfering Emil Heineman. Spencer Carbery is enraged by the softness of this call.
lol Locker.
Habs power play.
Caps kill power play.
There’s a girl screaming at Tom Wilson along the end boards as Kaiden Guhle cross-checks Tom trying to goad him into a penalty. Rough crowd.
Dylan Strome misses the net on a semi-breakaway.
Alex Ovechkin hits Carrier but nearly deposits himself completely into the Montreal bench. lol
Ivan Demidov skates up to Jakob Chychrun trying to goad him into a penalty – I’m noticing a theme here.
Only five shots on goal combined through the game’s first 10 minutes.
Kaiden Guhle to the box for interference at 11:35. Another strange call. The puck was basically there. Dobes tried to hand off to him after trying to freeze the puck, it got loose, and then he counter-hit Duhaime.
Capss power play.
Dobes robs Tom Wilson on a one-timer across the crease. Strome hit Tom with a perfect pass but Dobes pushed over to knock the puck away.
Tom Wilson takes a big hit, which almost springs Josh Anderson on a breakaway shorthanded.
Logan Thompson robs Nick Suzuki wide open at the far post. Some of these saves Logan is making are just hard to process. He remains on the top of his game.
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