Washington cruises past Montreal in a dominant playoff win, leaving the Canadiens with more questions than answers.
The Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals faced off on April 23, 2025, and let’s just say, it wasn’t the most chill of playoff games — unless you count the ice rink. The Capitals marched into Montreal like they owned the place, taking home a 3-1 win that had Habs fans googling “How to recover from playoff heartbreak 101.”
From the start, the Canadiens looked like they had their skates tied together. Washington’s offense wasn’t even waiting for an invitation. Alex Ovechkin, who’s probably still trying to score his 100th goal in the playoffs, made sure the Capitals started strong. It wasn’t a hat trick, but it was close enough to make Canadiens fans cringe in unison. At this rate, Ovi’s just collecting goals like some people collect rare Pokémon cards.
Montreal’s goalie tried to keep the game respectable, but it was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a beach ball. The one goal the Canadiens managed to score? A beauty. A shot so sweet, you’d think it was a gift from the hockey gods. Too bad it was like finding a diamond in a bag of rusty nails. The Capitals responded almost immediately, as if they were saying, “Nice try, but we’ve got plans to make.”
By the third period, Montreal’s defense was playing the “we’ll get them next time” game while Washington was throwing pucks like they were in an arcade machine. Caps goalie came up with some saves that looked like he had a magnetic stick, and even when Montreal did get a shot on net, the red light just stayed off. Maybe it was shy.
Meanwhile, Capitals fans were having a great time, tossing their jerseys in the air like confetti while Canadiens fans were busy staring at their phones wondering if the “EASIEST HOCKEY STRATEGIES” video would help. Spoiler alert: it wouldn’t.
When the final buzzer hit, it was a 3-1 statement game for Washington. The Canadiens were left trying to figure out how to break into the playoff-winning club while the Capitals strolled off the ice, probably making plans to continue their domination into the next round.
This wasn’t just a game; it was a wake-up call for Montreal, and a reminder that the Caps have some serious firepower. If this series was a Netflix show, we’d be at the “Season Finale” cliffhanger, with Montreal hoping for a major plot twist in Game 2.