Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Alex Ovechkin scored in a four-goal second period to lift Washington to a 5-1 win over Montreal in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
Capitals 5, Canadiens 1: Washington’s Four-Goal Second Period Gives Them Game Three Win
Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr each had a goal and an assist while Boyd Gordon and Matt Bradley also lit the lamp for the Capitals, who now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Semyon Varlamov, making the start in place of Jose Theodore, who was pulled in Game 2, stopped 26 shots for the win.
Tomas Plekanec scored the lone goal for the Canadiens, who have dropped the past two games after winning Game 1. Jaroslav Halak was pulled in the second period after giving up three goals on 13 shots. Carey Price stopped 21 shots in relief.
Game 4 of this series will be on Wednesday in Montreal.
After a scoreless first period that saw Varlamov make 10 saves and Halak turn aside seven, the Caps exploded in the second period to take control of the game.
Just 1:06 in while shorthanded, a 2-on-1 break into the Montreal end saw Gordon take a shot from the right side and follow up by banging in his own rebound for a 1-0 lead.
Less than four minutes later, Washington made it 2-0 as a left circle faceoff resulted in the puck eventually coming to the right circle where Laich’s wrister went through a screen.
About four minutes after that, Laich’s initial shot from the left circle was stopped, but Fehr was in front to bang home the rebound for a 3-0 lead and chase Halak out of net.
With 6:10 to play in the frame, the Caps made it a 4-0 game as Nicklas Backstrom sent the puck from behind the net to the inside right circle where Ovechkin one-timed it in.
Varlamov stopped eight shots in the middle stanza, but the Canadiens made it a 4-1 game 2:25 into the third on the power play as Plekanec followed up his own one-timer by banging in the rebound.
However, Montreal was unable to get any closer and Bradley’s goal in the final minute of play accounted for the final score.
Plekanec's goal was his third of the playoffs...Montreal went 1-for-5 on the power play while Washington was held off the board in seven chances...Glen Metropolit returned to play for the Canadiens. He had been out since March 27 with a shoulder injury.
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