Eller nets game-winning goal after Holtby enters in relief
MONTREAL — Lifting both arms and then kicked a leg up, center Lars Eller screamed as the building he once considered home quieted. Eller spent the majority of his career playing for the Montreal Canadiens, but he’s enjoyed his best years in Washington, and it was the Capitals whowere again the beneficiaries of his talents on Monday night. With 1:26 left in overtime, Eller scored to lift Washington to a 5-4 win over Montreal.
Goaltender Braden Holtby, making his first appearance since suffering an undisclosed “upper-body” injury last week, entered the game early in the first period and pitched a shutout from there, finishing with 22 saves.
The Capitals close their road trip with six points out of a possible eight while dealing with injuries to top center Evgeny Kuznetsov and right wing T.J. Oshie, who both took blows to the head against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night and haven’t been on the ice since. Through the first 20 games of the season, Washington is now 10-7-3, the team’s play still uneven at times but largely trending in the right direction.
After goals from Brett Connolly and Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals had a 2-1 lead to start the second period, but within two minutes of the puck dropping, they were in a two-goal hole. Brendan Gallagher drove the net on the first shift to punch Philip Danualt’s feed past Pheonix Copley just 20 seconds into the period. Defenseman Madison Bowey was called for interference 32 seconds later, and it took just 16 seconds for Jeff Petry to score on the Montreal power play. Then at the 1:35 mark, Kenny Agostino scored the Canadiens’ third goal, prompting Coach Todd Reirden to signal Holtby.
Scheduled to start Wednesday night in Winnipeg, Holtby got hurt during an informal on-ice session with goaltending coach Scott Murray that morning. He practiced for the first time on Sunday afternoon in Montreal, Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin scores a goal against Canadiens goaltender Carey Price during first period. and while the Capitals cleared him to dress Monday night, the plan had been for him to start on Wednesday against Chicago, which would’ve given him more time to get back into his typical routine.
Copley entered the game having won all but one of his past five starts, and that was in large part to how the Capitals had played better in front of him, recommitting to the tight-checking, defensive style that won the team a Stanley Cup in June. That identity was temporarily lost to start the second period, and Washington hurt itself from getting back into the game by racking up six penalty minutes in the first 10 minutes of the frame.
But 13:20 into the period, the Capitals caught a lucky break. Defenseman Christian Djoos’s centering pass bounced off a skate in front of the net, and it caromed straight to center Nicklas Backstrom in the high slot. As Evgeny Kuznetsov and T.J. Oshie missed a second straight game because of likely concussions, Backstrom has picked up some of the slack with two goals and an assist in the past two games. Wednesday, 7 p.m. TV: NBCSWA
So has Ovechkin. With the Capitals on a power play to start the third period, Ovechkin slapped a shot past goaltender Carey Price to tie the game, 4-4, with his third goal in the past two games and second of the night. He now has 15 goals this season, and he nearly had a hat trick 8:17 into the frame, when Price robbed him with a stellar glove save. Then Price’s sliding blocker save on Ovechkin in the final second of regulation was so spectacular that Ovechkin applauded on the ice and then gave him a pat in acknowledgement.
That ensured overtime and both teams earning at least a standings point.
It was a crushing loss to the Canadiens less than three weeks ago that sparked Washington to some improved defensive play. At Bell Centre on Nov. 1, the Capitals had a one-goal lead going into the third period, but they then allowed three goals in the final three minutes of the frame, leaving Montreal with a regulation loss. Since then, the team has gone from allowing nearly four goals per game in the first month of the season to just 2.50 over the past eight contests.