Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens stretches to grab the puck as John Carlson of the Washington Capitals defends during the second period of their playoff opener on Monday, April 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington, D.C. — The Montreal Canadiens showed serious fight in their playoff opener Monday night, even though the result didn’t go their way. A 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals didn’t dampen their spirits, as the young squad nearly stole Game 1 after a rocky start.
Head coach Martin St. Louis had hoped for a win, but he left encouraged by how his team responded after falling behind 2-0. “There was a lot to like,” he said postgame. “We didn’t win, but we gave ourselves a real chance.”
The Canadiens, the youngest team in this year’s playoffs, faced early pressure from a playoff-hardened Capitals squad. Montreal was overwhelmed in the opening minutes as Washington came out swinging—literally and figuratively. Alex Ovechkin and Anthony Beauvillier opened the game with heavy hits, setting a rough tone that lasted all night. The Capitals racked up 20 hits in the first period alone, clearly trying to rattle their less-experienced opponents.
Washington’s physical dominance paid off early, with Ovechkin and Beauvillier both scoring. Rookie Lane Hutson, playing his first NHL playoff game, said simply, “It was physical.” Defenseman Kaiden Guhle added, “They were feeding off the energy of the crowd. That’s a team that knows how to start strong.”
Goaltender Sam Montembeault and five other Canadiens were making their playoff debuts. The moment looked like it might be too big—until Montreal flipped the script in the third period.
After weathering the storm and gaining a power play, Cole Caufield brought the Canadiens within one midway through the third. Nick Suzuki followed that up with a slick goal to tie it with just over four minutes remaining in regulation, stunning the Capital One Arena crowd and forcing overtime.
But it was Ovechkin again who silenced Montreal’s comeback hopes, scoring the game-winner in OT—his first-ever playoff overtime goal. “He’s done that his whole career,” said Suzuki. “He brought the physical game too, and led them.”
Despite the loss, Montreal’s late push proved they belong in this series. The Canadiens clawed their way into the postseason after a slow start, going 15-5-6 after February’s 4 Nations Face-Off break. Their gritty play down the stretch silenced doubters and earned them a place in the first round against Washington, who finished with 111 points but stumbled late in the regular season.
Suzuki believes this is far from over. “It was a tight game. We’ll be better in Game 2,” he said. That second game is set for Wednesday night, again in Washington, before the series heads to Montreal.
Meanwhile, the Capitals may get a boost with the potential return of Aliaksei Protas. The 6-foot-6 forward skated alone Monday and could be ready to return from injury as early as Game 2.
As for the Canadiens, reaching the playoffs was never the final goal. “We’re not here for participation ribbons,” said St. Louis. “We’ve beaten great teams before, and we’ll be ready.”
