📸: @BigMouthShea/X
The Washington Capitals were back at the always loud Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday night. The Caps were looking to win their third game in a row, while the Canadiens were attempting to put an end to a four-game losing streak.
Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring on a faceoff play with the Capitals on a power play. Brendan Gallagher barely poked a loose puck over the goal line to tie the game. Ethen Frank scored two in a row within 1:38 to put the Capitals up two early in the second. Joe Veleno drew the Habs closer with a rip, and Jakob Chychrun pushed the Caps back ahead with one of his own.
Nick Suzuki notched a quick-response tally, which was then responded to by the Capitals via a beautiful effort from Sonny Milano. Mike Matheson fired home another early in the third. Ovechkin put away his second and third goals of the game to seal the win. Milano added one more to make it eight.
Capitals beat Canadiens 8-4!
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The Capitals were great in the first period whenever it was played at five-on-five, which was just 10:25 of the opening period. It’s hard to say much else given how many penalties were called, which disrupted the flow of the game. Referees seem to lose their minds a little at the Bell Centre.
Alex Ovechkin scored his 905th, 906th, and 907th career goals, giving him markers in four straight games and his 33rd career hat trick. Ovechkin is now one of only three players in NHL history to record a four-game goal streak at age 40 or older, joining Jaromir Jagr (2012-13) and Dean Prentice (1972-73). GOAT behavior.
Josh Anderson loves to throw his weight around against the Capitals. In the first, one of his targets was Ovechkin. Both men headed to the box with matching minor penalties. Tom Wilson doesn’t usually take lightly when guys target the big man, and Dylan McIlrath is in the lineup. I’m writing this bullet before more of the game happens, so we’ll see if we should come back to it later on.
The second period was an absolute mess, but the sort of mess that is awesome to watch when your favorite team is winning the game. It felt like the Capitals created the better chances while the Canadiens got the better bounces. Luckily, the Caps have found some shooting form out of nowhere and finished a bunch of them.
Ethen Frank came so very close to a natural hat trick but managed just two goals in 1:38 early in the second frame. The two markers were Frank’s first of the season and the fifth and sixth of his NHL career. He sure seems like he’s earned a roster spot and is here to stay for the rest of the year.
The Canadiens scored their second goal after Brendan Gallagher blatantly chopped Martin Fehervary’s stick out of his hands, and we all know the referee saw it. Stripes also gave a weirdly emphatic goal point as if to say he didn’t want to hear any more complaining. The refs evened it up shortly after, though, as Wilson definitely should have been called for charging right before Jakob Chychrun’s goal. As long as it goes both ways, I guess.
Sonny Milano’s goal was picture-perfect. He is magic off the rush, and he showed exactly that with a neat backhand to forehand move that sent Jakub Dobes, who relieved Sam Montembeault earlier in the period, all the way to Quebec City.
Jesus Christmas.
Don’t be surprised if this 2nd rounder makes the NHL. But continue to be surprised he fell to the 2nd round. Forever and always. pic.twitter.com/07FIQJAaZX
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) November 20, 2025
I really liked the team’s third period. They did not look like they had played the night before. So very good.
Charlie Lindgren got a good effort from the team in front of him in the back half of a back-to-back and didn’t give them a good outing in return. He needs to be better on two of the Habs’ goals for sure.
Justin Sourdif stood out to me in this one in a good way. He seems to be finding his feet a little and is a ton less tentative with the puck. I’m starting to see the player the Capitals paid for.
The Capitals will head home and take Friday off before hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. The Lightning beat the Caps 3-2 in Florida earlier this month after the Caps handed them a 3-2 loss in October.