Montreal Canadiens Defeat Washington Capitals 6-3, Trail Series 2-1

The Montreal Canadiens kept their playoff hopes alive with a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3, narrowing the Capitals' series lead to 2-1. The game, held at the Bell Centre, was marked not only by the Canadiens' offensive surge but also by high-intensity moments, including a bench brawl and both teams losing their starting goaltenders to injury. Key contributions came from Christian Dvorak, who scored the game-winner, along with goals from Juraj Slafkovsky, Alexandre Carrier, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Alex Newhook. The home crowd's energy played a significant role in boosting Montreal's performance, as the team looked to capitalize on their first full-capacity playoff game at the Bell Centre since 2017. Despite the win, the series remains competitive, with both teams facing uncertainty in net ahead of Game 4. The Canadiens' ability to generate high-danger scoring chances and the resilience shown by backup goaltender Jakub Dobes were pivotal in securing the win.