The juggernaut Washington Capitals proved to be too much to handle for a young Montreal Canadiens team. The Capitals, who finished second overall in the regular season, were able to defeat the Canadiens in five games. Their first-round series was a lot closer than it appears on paper, as the Canadiens put up a valiant effort in all five contests. Excluding game 5, all their losses were by one goal minus empty nets. Still, the Montreal Canadiens can take solace in the fact that they overachieved by making the postseason, and it’s just the beginning for their young team. As for Washington, they look ahead to round two, where they will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in a battle for the Metropolitan Division crown. Let’s review the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals first-round playoff series.
Montreal versus Washington Playoff Series Review
Physicality and Goaltending Battles were Lost by Montreal
When we look back at the series, we can see two key reasons why the Canadiens lost: physicality and goaltending. The Capitals are a much bigger and more physical team than Montreal. Even after Montreal inserted Arber Xhekaj into the lineup in Game 3, Washington asserted their will physically over the Canadiens. We can look back at the big hit by Tom Wilson in Game 4 as the turning point in the series. With Montreal leading 2-1 in the third period, hoping to tie the series, Wilson leveled Alex Carrier en route to the game-tying goal. The hit shifted momentum in the game and silenced the Montreal faithful. If not for Wilson and the Capitals physical play, the series may still be in progress.
The second point that dictated the series was goaltending. Sam Montembeault and Logan Thompson were both stellar for their clubs. However, in Game 3 both went down with seemingly serious injuries. Thompson returned to the crease for Game 4 while Montembeault was out for the remainder of the series. Jakub Dobes was admirable in his place for Montreal, but seemed to fall victim to nerves. With Montembeault in the net, Montreal was a much more confident team, and without him, their play wasn’t on the same level. Thompson remained stellar the entire series and was Washington’s most valuable player.
Questionable Calls and Missed Opportunities
Much was made of the refereeing during the series. While Canadiens fans will say they got screwed, in actuality there were some missed calls and questionable officiating at times all series long. However, the butchered icing call in Game 1 that led to Alex Ovechkin‘s overtime-winner remains a talking point. The Canadiens also felt as though the play should have been blown dead after Wilson’s hit due to Carrier’s injury. In the end, though, the Capitals were the better team, and despite some poor officiating at times, Montreal only has itself to blame for the loss.
We can also look back at Jake Evans missing a wide-open opportunity to tie the game up in Game 2 of the series. Captain Nick Suzuki also missed a wide-open net in the first period of Game 5, and Washington would go on to score two quick goals shortly after. Washington is a much deeper team offensively, and in order for Montreal to win the series, they had to be opportunistic, which they were not.
Looking Ahead for Both Teams
For Montreal, they have a lot to look forward to. The Canadiens were never expected to qualify for the postseason this year. The experience gained will be invaluable for the team’s young core. With young players like Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, and Juraj Slafkovsky already making an impact, the future looks bright. The Canadiens also have two first-round picks this year to go along with their deep prospect pool. Montreal will be looking to make some impactful additions in the off-season and make a push for the playoffs once more next year.
As for Washington, they made it past the first round for the first time since 2018 when they won the Stanley Cup. The Capitals roster looks much different than it did in those days. This younger, deeper Capitals team has the ability to go deep in the postseason. But first, they need to deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have a deep squad as well, particularly on the backend. However, the injury to Frederik Andersen changes things for Carolina. Pyotr Kotchetkov looked shaky in game 5 against the Devils, allowing three early goals. The Capitals have the offensive firepower to take advantage. They rolled four solid lines that all found success against Montreal. With the return of Alaksei Protas, they have even more options. The teams halved the season series 2-2. The Capitals will have the home-ice advantage as they aim to move on to the Conference Finals.
Main photo by: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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