The Montreal Canadiens have returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since making their Cinderella-esque run to the Cup Final in 2021, a long wait for Habs faithful.
However, their work is cut out for them, having not only been matched up against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals, but also after they fell by a 3-2 final score in overtime on Monday night at Capital One Arena.
Alex Ovechkin, now the leading goal scorer in NHL regular season history, accomplished something he had never done before in his Hall of Fame career, which was score an overtime-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His goal won the game for Washington, giving them a one-game-to-zero series lead.
Canadiens Fans Frustrated After Defeat to Capitals
It was a disappointing setback for the Canadiens and their fans on April 21, the latter of whom felt like the team let an opportunity slip through their fingers to pick up an upset win on the road in Game 1.
One Habs fan targeted forward Patrik Laine in his frustration, saying, “Laine losing the puck on the side board again then we get a faceoff in our zone. That killed the game.”
Laine losing the puck on the side board again then we get a faceoff in our zone. That killed the game
— Anne Labrecque (@AnneLabrecque1)
Another Habs fan called out rookie Ivan Demidov for not playing physically enough, saying, “Where is Demidov and we need to be much more physical. We had them. We had them.”
One fan felt that the Capitals had already won the series, saying, “What an awful overtime, entire team forgot how to stick handle during the 15 minute intermission? This is a 4-0 sweep.”
What an awful overtime, entire team forgot how to stick handle during the 15 minute intermission? This is a 4-0 sweep
— BobBangs (@BigWinBob)
Finally, one Habs fan sarcastically had this to say about Ovechkin’s game-winner: “Good thing to let Ovi wide open.”
The Canadiens and Capitals will play Game 2 of their series on Wednesday night.
Canadiens Coach Martin St. Louis Tipped His Cap to Alex Ovechkin
Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, who played against Ovechkin many times during his own playing days with the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, knows all too well that the Russian sniper doesn’t need much room to find a way to put the puck in the back of the net.
“He doesn’t need much time and space,” he said. “He scores two big goals tonight, right? That’s kind of what he does.”
The Canadiens have no choice but to pick up a win in Game 2 of the series on Wednesday night, as they cannot afford to fall into a 0-2 hole heading back home to Montreal for Game 3.
