The Washington Capitals are in a precarious situation for Game 4 at the Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal stormed back into the series with a 6-3 win on Friday night. However, Washington still has the opportunity to stop them from building momentum with a victory before the series shifts back to the United States for Game 5.
Many questions surrounded the Capitals following their Game 4 loss, including the still unknown playing status of starting goaltender Logan Thompson. The goalie situation is just one of several X-factors for the Capitals in tonight’s crucial swing game in Round 1.
Logan Thompson or Charlie Lindgren in Game 4?
Without question, the most significant decision for head coach Spencer Carbery is which netminder to start for Washington. Despite needing assistance leaving the ice in the third period of Game 3, Thompson was skating with his teammates during the morning skate on Sunday.
Spencer Carbery laughed when asked about Thompson and Lindgren leaving together. “Did they do that? … Well-coached players. I always tell you, our team is very coachable.” https://t.co/GZ2yAMG0MA
— Bailey Johnson (@BaileyAJohnson_) April 27, 2025
In the NHL practice world, the first goalie to leave the ice on a game day skate will start in the upcoming game. On Sunday morning, Thompson and backup Charlie Lindgren hid any sneak preview of Carbery’s decision by leaving the playing surface simultaneously. Carbery was tight-lipped but showcased his sense of humor when asked about the situation after the morning skate. “Did they do that?” Carbery said. “Well-coached players. I always tell you, our team is well-coached.”
Aliaksei Protas
The potential return of Capitals’ top-line winger Aliaksei Protas has the potential to impact this series significantly for Washington. Protas missed the final six games of the regular season after suffering a skate cut to his foot in an April 4 game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The 24-year-old forward skated with the team before Game 3, but did not play in the 6-3 loss.
This season, the 6-foot-6 winger exploded on the NHL scene with a 30-goal, 36-assist campaign playing alongside Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome. Washington has showcased patience with Protas’ development. He scored 44 points over 136 games in two seasons from 2022-24, or an average of 0.32 points per game (P/G). The Belarusian forward was on another level this season, following 66 points in 76 games. Protas contributed nearly a point-per-game on Washington’s top line with a 0.87 P/G in 2024-25.
Forward Anthony Beauvillier, Protas’ replacement on the first line, has played well during the Round 1 series with Montreal. Beauvillier scored in Game 1 and has recorded a point in each game of the series. If Protas can enter the lineup in Game 4, Carbery can move a high-caliber winger further down his lineup, which should help his squad be even more challenging to play against.
The Shutdown Line (Duhaime / Dowd / Raddysh)
Carbery has heavily relied upon the Capitals’ Brandon Duhaime, Nic Dowd, and Taylor Raddysh trio in this series. The trio has a minus-1 rating at 5-on-5 over the series’ first three games, but the line has played its defensive role well.
Duhaime has the unfortunate distinction of leading all Capitals forwards with a minus-2 rating, with Dowd and Raddysh right behind at minus-1. His 72 shifts are second behind Connor McMichael’s 75 trips over the bench in Round 1. The right-winger has averaged 15:38 minutes on the ice (TOI) in the series but has only found the scoresheet via the penalty box.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub
Dowd is one shift behind Duhaime with 71 shifts taken through three contests and an average of 15:39 TOI. The 34-year-old center leads the team in faceoff winning percentage with 22 wins on 41 draws, or a 54% winning percentage. Pierre-Luc Dubois is second on the team with 21 wins in 40 faceoff attempts for a 53% win rate.
Raddysh has seen the least usage at 12:08 TOI but still has proven his value as a human battering ram. The forward is tied with Dowd for sixth-best on the Capitals in hits with eight. The fourth-line unit has combined for 26 hits, led by Duhaime’s 10 body checks.
Handling The Montreal Crowd
The final X-factor won’t be skating on the ice, but instead furiously swinging towels from their seats and supporting their Canadiens with all the support of fans who have waited over thirty years for a chance to lift the sport’s most valuable prize. Game 3 presented an incredible scene as a packed crowd welcomed their Canadiens home for a playoff date after a substantial absence from postseason play.
Washington allowed Montreal to score twice in the final minute of a period on Friday. In the first frame, Alexandre Carrier scored with 53 seconds remaining in the first period to tie the score. Instead of dejected Canadiens fans roaming the concourse, the Bell Centre was renewed with hope at the first intermission break with a 1-1 score.
With under 10 seconds left to play in the second period, Cole Caufield brought the fans to their feet with his second postseason goal to give the Canadiens a 3-2 advantage. Moments later, the fine-worthy scuffle between Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson ensued as the second period featured a turbulent ending. Once again, Canadiens fans filled the Bell Centre hallways with excitement and hope following the Caufield goal and the aggressive hugging session that ended in the Washington bench.
Montreal’s supporters did not disappoint, providing energy as a “21st man” for the Canadiens, who were focused on delivering their first postseason win since the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. When the clock struck zero and the party began, the crowd celebrated with an ear-ringing display of affection.
The Bell Centre crowd never disappoints.
— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) April 26, 2025
The Canadiens take Game 3, setting up a pivotal Game 4 on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/IUehyXJG1R
The Capitals want to return to D.C. with a 3-1 series lead in their Round 1 series against the Canadiens. For that to happen, it will be paramount that Washington avoids late mental miscues that plagued the team in Game 3. Eliminating those mistakes will make it more difficult for Montreal supporters to provide that extra little spark for their beloved Canadiens in Game 4.
