Canadiens Seek Revenge Against Capitals After Overtime Loss

After a heartbreaking overtime loss to the New York Islanders, the Montreal Canadiens are gearing up for a final opportunity to seek revenge against the Washington Capitals this season. Spencer Carbery’s squad has already eliminated the Canadiens in the playoffs last spring and has bested them twice this season, scoring an emphatic 8-4 victory in November and narrowly edging them 3-2 in January.

The Capitals, fresh off a 3-2 win against the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Friday night, are facing the Canadiens in a back-to-back matchup. Currently sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 69 points, Washington finds themselves just two points behind the Boston Bruins, who have three games in hand. With only 61 games played so far, the Capitals know their margin for error is slim. They come into this matchup riding a three-game winning streak and boasting a solid 7-2-1 record over their last ten games.

For the Canadiens, the recent standings shakeup has been challenging. In the past two days, they have slipped behind both the Detroit Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres, who each have 74 points. Montreal, however, does hold a game in hand, making every point crucial as they navigate a tight playoff race. Following Thursday’s loss, the Canadiens have posted a 6-2-2 record in their last ten games but need to secure victories in regulation to gain ground.

With Samuel Montembeault starting on Thursday, head coach Martin St-Louis will turn to Jakub Dobes in net tonight. Dobes has faced the Capitals once this season, holding a 1-1-0 record with a 3.71 goals-against average and an .857 save percentage. Montembeault, on the other hand, has a 2-3-1 record against Washington with a 3.63 GAA and a .891 SV.

In goal for the Capitals will be Charlie Lindgren, who gets the nod against his former team after Logan Thompson played on Friday. Lindgren has enjoyed success against the Canadiens with a 4-1-0 record, a 2.83 GAA, and an .889 SV. Thompson, meanwhile, boasts a 2-0-1 record against Montreal with a 2.58 GAA and a .900 SV.

As for the Canadiens’ lineup, it remains to be seen whether St-Louis will stick with the same players or reintegrate Zachary Bolduc. Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens in production against the Capitals with 20 points in 17 games, followed closely by Brendan Gallagher with 16 points in 32 games, and Mike Matheson, who has 15 points in 29 games. Notably, Cole Caufield has also found success against Washington, racking up 14 points in just 13 games.

The Canadiens will need to keep a watchful eye on Alexander Ovechkin, the Capitals’ leading point producer against Montreal with 74 points in 62 games. Ovechkin is currently in a scoring slump, having gone seven games without a goal, and facing the Canadiens could provide the spark he needs, as he has already accumulated four points in two encounters this season.

Other key contributors for the Capitals include John Carlson, who has 28 points in 46 games, and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who has tallied 23 points in 27 games since returning from an abdominal surgery that sidelined him for four months. Surprisingly, fourth-liner Ethan Frank has also made an impact with seven points in three matchups against the Canadiens, including six points in the two games played this season.

The puck drops at 7:00 PM, and fans can watch the action on TVAS, CITY, SNE, and MNMT. The officiating crew will include Jake Brenk and Cody Beach, with Devin Berg and Travis Toomey as the linesmen.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.