Ovechkin Leads Capitals to Overtime Victory in Playoff Opener

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his first playoff overtime goal to lead the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first round at Capital One Arena on Monday night.

Ovechkin scored just 2:26 into overtime, capping a thrilling game that saw Washington squander a two-goal lead. The win marks the Capitals’ first playoff victory since May 2022.

“It’s a goal that counts, and I think it gives you confidence,” Ovechkin said after the game. “Good things happen when you go to the net.”

Ovechkin opened the scoring late in the first period with a power play goal, assisted by Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. Anthony Beauvillier scored shortly after to make it 2-0 in the second period.

The Canadiens fought back in the third period, with Cole Caufield scoring on a power play at 10:32. Nick Suzuki then tied the game at 15:45, leading to overtime.

Washington’s goalkeeper Logan Thompson made 33 saves in his return, while Montreal’s Sam Montembeault recorded 29 saves. Capitals forward Dylan Strome praised Thompson’s performance, highlighting a critical save during a two-on-one situation.

“LT was great,” Strome said. “It was a huge save at the time to keep our momentum going.”

Montreal coach Martin St. Louis noted the positives despite the loss. “There was a lot of good stuff in our game tonight,” he commented. “Unfortunately, you don’t win, but we got some really good stuff from this game.”

The two teams will face off again in Game 2 on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena.