The Montreal Canadiens have dug themselves into a considerable hole in their opening round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Washington Capitals.
Despite not playing poorly, the breaks haven’t gone Montreal’s way. Their 3-1 setback against the Capitals on Wednesday night meant that they dropped both contests in Washington and are trailing two games to none.
Capitals Defeated the Canadiens 3-1 To Take a 2-0 Series Lead
After neither team found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes of play, it was Montreal who struck first in the contest.
Christian Dvorak’s first goal of the postseason gave the Canadiens the 1-0 lead that they coveted, but unfortunately, they were unable to make it stand up.
Washington’s Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome both responded with goals literally 60 seconds apart to give the Capitals the lead; Strome’s goal proved to be the game winner.
The Canadiens pressed hard for the equalizing tally late in the third period, pulling goaltender Sam Montembeault for a sixth attacker; however, they couldn’t penetrate any further.
McMichael added his second tally of the contest, an empty net goal in the waning seconds of regulation to seal the victory.
3 Canadiens Who Missed The Mark In Game 2 Loss To Capitals
#1. Nick Suzuki
The leader of the Canadiens, who did so much down the stretch of the regular season to help his club secure their first playoff berth since 2021, Suzuki failed to deliver in Game 2 against the Capitals.
He was one of many players who failed to make an appearance on the scoresheet as part of the loss on Wednesday night. Not only that, but he also
#2. Patrik Laine
The power-play specialist who was acquired by the Canadiens during the offseason has yet to make his imprint on the series.
Based on his performance on Wednesday night, you can’t blame Canadiens fans for wondering if he even played. Laine had zero points and only a single shot on net.
These are the kinds of situations where the club needs more out of one of their top forwards, who has proven goal-scoring ability.
#3. Lane Hutson
One of the best young defensemen in the National Hockey League today, Hutson will be given serious consideration for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie.
However, Wednesday wasn’t his night against the Capitals. While he led the team during ice time, he also didn’t contribute anything to the offensive side of the puck; he also committed three turnovers for the team.
If the Canadiens are to force their way back in the series on home ice, Hutson will need to deliver more.