February 7 – The visiting Montreal Canadiens defeated the struggling Washington Capitals 5-2 on Tuesday thanks to three goals in the first period and two goals from Nick Suzuki in a three-point performance.
With 36 saves from Sam Montembeault, Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice more and Michael Pezzetta added a goal for the Canadiens. With two assists from Mike Matheson, Montreal increased its record to 2-0-1 in its last three games.
The Capitals are winless in their last five games (0-4-1). Their scorers are Alex Ovechkin and Rasmus Sandin. Charlie Lindgren, the starting goalie, was substituted after allowing three goals on nine shots. In relief, Darcy Kuemper made fifteen saves. Dylan Strome recorded two helpers.
The Canadiens took off just 57 seconds thanks to two goals from Suzuki.
At 6:42, Suzuki opened the score with a cross-ice feed from Cole Caufield on a two-on-one rush. With six goals and seven assists during the course of his career-best point run, which now stands at ten games, Caufield received an assist.
Not long later, Suzuki scored his fifteenth goal of the year. A point attempt by Arber Xhekaj bounced off the post, but Suzuki was there to seize the rebound.
At 13:07 of the first period, Pezzetta converted his third goal of the year after snagging a loose puck in the slot. This gave the team a three-goal lead. Lindgren was shocked as much by the goals as by the fact that the Capitals had only three shots on goal at that point.
At 6:03 of the second period, Ovechkin, scoring his second goal in as many games and his 10th of the season, gave the hosts hope with a blast from the slot.But at 11:19 of the third period, Slafkovsky scored a goal from the slot to make it 4-1, after the Canadiens had failed to muster a shot on goal in the last 13:04 of the second period.
22 seconds later, Sandin scored his second goal of the season, a top-corner one-timer from the point to make it a two-goal game. Two and a half minutes later, Slafkovsky answered with a blast from the right faceoff dot on the power play, his third goal in the previous two games and his ninth of the year.
Center Brendan Gallagher was not available for the Canadiens due to serving the second game of a five-game suspension. Forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, who is receiving treatment through the player assistance program, was absent from Washington’s opening game.
