Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime game-winning goal in a 3-2 win for the Washington Capitals over the Montreal Canadiens at Capital One Arena on Monday night. In a physical Game 1 matchup, the teams combined for 75 hits in a battle for every inch of ice that required some bonus hockey to find a winner. The Capitals surged to an early advantage over the first two periods. Still, the Canadiens dominated the third frame to force the NHL’s first overtime session in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which was ended by Ovechkin at 2:26 of the overtime period.
Washington’s captain set the tone for his club and was credited with seven hits in the Game 1 win. He also scored the game’s opening goal after Kaiden Guhle was whistled for a hooking penalty against Ryan Leonard late in the first period. With the man advantage winding down, Tom Wilson whipped a cross-ice pass to Ovechkin, who was alone at the top of the left faceoff circle. The NHL’s all-time regular-season scoring leader settled the puck down before snapping a shot past the pads of Sam Montembeault for a 1-0 Capitals lead. The goal was the 29th postseason power play point of Ovechkin’s career, which moves him past Evgeni Malkin and Denis Potvin into a seventh-place tie with Mario Lemieux in the all-time record books.
Anthony Beauvillier doubled Washington’s lead to 2-0 by pouncing on a loose puck at the feet of Montembeault and stuffing it past the line at 12:09 of the second period. Ovechkin made the initial play from the blue line by getting the puck towards the Montreal net before Beauvillier’s heroics excited the D.C. crowd.
Pierre-Luc Dubois’ tripping minor midway through the third period provided the Canadiens a much-needed opportunity for offense, but they could not capitalize on the man advantage. Cole Caufield cashed in with a power-play goal on a scramble play that allowed him to slip the puck under Logan Thompson for a 2-1 Washington lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub
The Canadiens continued to pressure the Capitals and Thompson with a flurry of offense in the game’s final 10 minutes, including 10-plus straight shots. Thompson stood on his head for over six minutes to thwart the Canadiens’ offense, but Montreal finally broke through to tie the game. Canadiens center Nick Suzuki corralled a Thompson rebound and showcased incredible patience and poise to move into open ice before ripping the puck into the empty net for a 2-2 game.
Washington needed only two shots to find the game-winner from their captain in overtime. Beauvillier put a puck towards the pads of Montembeault that Ovechkin batted into the back of the net for a 3-2 Capitals victory. It was the first career playoff OT goal for the NHL star.
THE NHL'S ALL-TIME LEADING GOAL SCORER HAS SCORED HIS FIRST CAREER PLAYOFF OVERTIME GOAL pic.twitter.com/R7TM5ZPshd
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 22, 2025
The Capitals and the Canadiens return to the ice for Game 2 at Capital One Arena for a midweek battle on Wednesday night before the series shifts to Canada this weekend.
