The Montreal Canadiens had their chances against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, but the third period told the story again.
Montreal came out fast and grabbed the lead early on Josh Anderson’s goal in the first five minutes. The opening frame turned into a track meet, with four goals total and each team scoring twice. Things settled down in the second, when both clubs added one more, but neither side managed to separate.
Then the third period hit, and the game slipped away from Montreal. The Capitals scored twice in a row to move in front 5-3, and Alex Tuch’s goal with just under three minutes left sealed it. The Canadiens fell 5-4, missing a shot at their third straight win after beating the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout the night before.
Anderson was the bright spot offensively. He scored twice, continuing a strong start to the season, and both times he found the soft spot in coverage right around the crease.
Alex Newhook set him up on both goals with strong passes, and Anderson finished the job. It was the first time he had scored multiple goals in a game since December 20th last season, when he scored two against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 4-0 win.
He now has four goals this season and is on pace for what would be his first 20-goal season since 2022-23.
There was one rough moment for Anderson, too. In the closing seconds of the first period, he deflected the puck into the Canadiens’ own net. Even so, his impact at the other end outweighed that mistake.
Jakub Dobes, meanwhile, never really found his footing in his return to the crease. It was his first start in over a week after Jacob Fowler started the last three games.
Dobes had already been fighting for traction early in the season, entering the night with a 1-1-1 record, a .856 save percentage, and a 4.43 goals against average. With Fowler playing well, this start carried a little extra pressure, especially with Dobes trying to reinforce why the Canadiens gave him a contract extension this offseason.
Instead, the outing raised more questions. Dobes allowed five goals on just 24 shots, including two in the third period.
With Saturday’s home game against the Sabres coming up, Martin St. Louis now has a decision to make, and the way this one unfolded makes it hard not to wonder whether a goalie battle is starting to take shape.
The other concern for Montreal is becoming hard to ignore: the third period. For much of the night, the teams were evenly matched.
But once the final 10 minutes arrived, Washington took over, broke the tie, and pushed the game out of reach. Through seven games, the Canadiens have been outscored 10-6 in the third period, and three of Montreal’s third-period goals came in the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
That late-game pattern isn’t new, either. The Canadiens had a similar issue against the Nashville Predators, when a tied game slipped away on a late third-period goal. Even the win over Buffalo came with warning signs, since Montreal had to survive after blowing a two-goal lead.
The Canadiens now get a few days to reset before facing the Sabres again at home on Saturday night.
In Other News...
Canadiens Blue Line Suddenly Puts David Reinbacher In Focus
A thinning blue line has suddenly pushed David Reinbacher into the conversation in Montreal. The Canadiens recalled the young defenseman from the Laval Rocket after Mike Matheson went down injured, leaving the club with only six healthy blueliners as it gets ready for a matchup with the Washington Capitals.
Reinbachers arrival adds intrigue to a situation the Canadiens did not have much time to manage, but his actual role is still unsettled. Montreal has not yet confirmed whether he will make his debut against Washington or where he would slot in if he does, which leaves the club balancing immediate need with a more cautious look at how it wants to deploy him. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Interest In Dylan Larkin Comes Down To One Big Thing
Dylan Larkins situation in Detroit remains one of the more closely watched storylines around the league, and it has obvious appeal for a Canadiens front office still looking for a meaningful swing. He has not rescinded his trade request from the Red Wings and is still interested in being moved this season, while his no-movement clause gives him control over where this goes next. Reports have him open to about ten teams, a group that includes several contenders and a few clubs with clear cap space or roster flexibility.
Montreal has shown serious interest, which makes sense for a team that would love to add a player of Larkins caliber if the opportunity ever materializes. The catch is simple: he is not currently open to playing there, even though the Canadiens are said to be willing to put together a significant offer if that stance changes. For now, it is less a full-blown pursuit than a waiting game, with Montreal keeping tabs on a possibility that may depend on one big shift in Larkins thinking. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Be Fixing The Problem That Hurt Them Most
After a shaky start to the season in one of the areas that had hurt them most, the Canadiens are at least showing signs of a fix on the penalty kill. Against Buffalo, Montreal protected a 3-1 lead long enough to survive a Sabres push and eventually win in a shootout, but the more encouraging part came when the game turned chippy and special teams became a factor.
Montreals penalty killers handled every Buffalo man advantage in the game, and the recent trend now matters as much as the result itself. The Canadiens have strung together a run of successful kills over their last two games, a welcome answer after early-season trouble with power-play goals against had put extra pressure on the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]