Canadiens Win Game 3, Series Cuts to 2-1

The Montreal Canadiens secured a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, narrowing Washington's series lead to 2-1. The game was marked by injuries to both starting goaltenders—Montreal's Sam Montembeault exited with a lower-body issue and Capitals' Logan Thompson also left hurt, forcing both teams to rely on backups. Montreal's top line, anchored by Nick Suzuki, dominated play, outmatching Washington's defense and generating sustained offensive pressure. Turnovers by the Capitals proved costly, directly leading to several Canadiens goals and underscoring Washington's need to clean up puck management for the next game. Alex Ovechkin scored his 75th career playoff goal, but the Capitals struggled to respond to Montreal's relentless attack and energy fueled by a raucous home crowd. As Game 4 approaches, both teams face uncertainty in goal, with the Capitals needing to adjust their strategy to contain Suzuki’s line and reduce mistakes if they hope to regain control of the series.