Montreal Canadiens continue to be outmuscled by Capitals, down series 2-0 after 3-1 defeat in Game 2

The Montreal Canadiens have fallen into a 2-0 hole in their opening-round series after losing 3-1 to the Washington Capitals in Game 2.

The Canadiens were once again outmuscled by an aggressive and determined Washington team that came back with three unanswered goals to hold off an eager but ineffective Montreal team. The Habs opened the scoring in the first period with Christian Dvorak’s first of the postseason.

But that would be all the offense the Montreal Canadiens could muster. Here’s a look at the goal:

The goal resulted from a mad scramble in the front of the net. The replay showed, however, a big hit from Caps’ captain Alexander Ovechkin, that opened up enough ice for the Canadiens to score.

That mistake would be the only one the Capitals would make on the night. The Caps outmuscled the Canadiens all game long, leading to various scoring opportunities.

A good example came on Washington’s tying goal. Let’s look:

The goal started with a strong play along the boards in which the Capitals’ players won the puck battle. That battle allowed Connor McMichael to walk in front of the net and pop a rebound past Samuel Montembeault.

Let’s look now at the Capital’s go-ahead goal:

The play started with a thunderous hit on Montreal Canadiens blue liner Mike Matheson as he tried to exit the zone. The hit led to the puck being turned over at the Capitals’ blue line.

As the play came back the other way, the Caps got a 3-on-2 rush, with Dylan Strome moving to the front of the net unimpeded. He waltzed in a buried the puck in the back of the net.

The Capitals' physical superiority was the deciding factor on Wednesday night as the Canadiens could do little to stay in the game.

Montreal Canadiens “can be better” in Game 3

Montreal captain Nick Suzuki expressed his frustation when talking to the media following Game 2 - Source: Imagn

Following the game, Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki addressed the media. His somber tone reflected the disappointment that came with falling into a 2-0 hole against one of the league’s best teams this season.

When asked about his team’s performance, Suzuki stated:

“We just got to bear down on those chances, like it could be a different game, still defensively, breaking pucks out, we can be better, and helping each other out more, and out D getting hit all the time.”

Check out Suzuki’s comments from the 40-second mark onwards:

Suzuki’s comments underscore how the Montreal Canadiens faced a barrage of scoring chances from the Capitals, but were unable to hold their opponent back. While the score was hardly lopsided, the Canadiens didn’t take advantage of their opportunities.

With the series now shifting to Montreal, the Canadiens will be looking to make adjustments as they try to capitalize on their scoring chances. A win on Friday night would put the Canadiens back in the series.

A loss, however, would give the Capitals a stranglehold on the series. It remains to be seen how well the Canadiens respond at the Bell Centre in front of their hometown crowd.