Canadiens vs. Capitals Top Six Minutes: Habs pushed to the brink by Washington comeback

Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Capitals center Connor McMichael (24) plays the puck against Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier (45) during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. | Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

I’m still amazed that Logan Thompson is able to play this game.
Emil Heineman gets taken down by Alexander Alexeyev as he tries to tip a point shot, and Montreal will have the first power play of the night.
Montreal’s top unit can’t get set up as the Capitals stay high to defend the blue line.
Montreal doesn’t do much with an early opportunity.
“The crackpot truck” Garry Galley says about his production team I bet they’re thrilled.
Alexander Ovechkin is really fighting the puck in the early-going. He also almost ended up in Montreal bench after missing a hit on Alexandre Carrier.
Brandon Duhaime holds Guhle behind the net and doesn’t let him join the rush. With the puck back in Montreal’s zone, Guhle gets his glove in Duhaime’s face and will sit for interference.
I don’t know why Jakub Dobeš attempted to play that puck when Guhle was about to take it, which led to that whole situation.
Tom Wilson hits the post on a pass that got through the slot.
Josh Anderson has a mini breakaway, and it looked like Jakob Chychrun got his free hand on him to throw him off. The replay shows he played the puck first however.
Carrier has gone to the Canadiens’ dressing room.
Montreal’s top line puts in the best shift of the game so far, with three scoring chances in quick succession.
Alexeyev dumps the puck in and Arber Xhekaj steps into his path and knocks him down. You can’t do that.
With Carrier potentially out of this game, Montreal needs Xhekaj on the ice.
Shots end up at 7-5 for Washington. An oddly cautious period after how Game 3 played out.
Add “run buckshod” to the list of Galleyisms.
Carrier is back. That’s good, because he’s been on the Canadiens’ best defencemen in this series.
Lane Hutson makes a good decision to take his man off the puck that he had just turned over and let it slide toward Dobes. Dobes hopes someone will take it instead, and ends up just getting a toe on it and kicking it out to Dylan Strome, who scores and easy one.
Christian Dvorak gets called for high-sticking. The replay shows there was no contact made, but there was head snap from Pierre-Luc Dubois.
On a power play they shouldn’t have had, Washington gets a five-on-three as Wilson drops while being checked by Joel Armia near the net. Dives all over the place.
Montreal kills of the five-on-three with some critical play from David Savard and Mike Matheson.
Nick Suzuki gets cross-checked down in front of the net on Montreal’s next shift after the kill, and the ref had to call that one.
Hutson fires the puck off the post.
Juraj Slafkovský dangles into the zone for an entry. Ivan Demidov dangles around to a defender to create the opening in the coverage. Demidov passes it back to Slafkovský, and the game is tied.

JESUS CHRIST IVAN DEMIDOV

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— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 27, 2025 at 9:03 PM

The future is now.
I think that’s the first time we’ve really seen Demidov attack a defender one-on-one. He’s quite good at it.
Two crunching hits from Arber Xhekaj on Lars Eller as the former Habs centre tries to cycle.
Carrier sets up a three-on-one for the Dvorak line, but Dvorak’s pass is tipped in the air and Anderson can’t do much with it.
Wilson picks up Carrier’s stick and tosses it into the corner. Several seconds later, Wilson rushes in and hits Mike Matheson as he’s engaged with another player. Anderson knocks down Wilson, and will go to the box.
Savard is hit in the numbers into the boards by Wilson. Wilson will not go to the box.
Dobeš robs Connor McMichael with a glove save at the side of the net.
Ovechkin throws his shoulder into Jake Evans, who is following his man on the zone entry. Textbook interference, and the refs have no choice but to call it.
Caufield scores on the power play, and the refs must be wondering what else they have to do to give the advantage to Washington.

Cole Caufield makes the Caps pay on the power play Habs up 2-1

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— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) April 27, 2025 at 9:26 PM

The assists go to Hutson and Demidov on the goal, as they did on the last one.
I think we have the top power-play unit for the next 10 years.
The period ends with Montreal in a 2-1 lead, despite power plays being 5-3 in favour of Washington.
John Carlson slashes Dvorak’s stick away, and Montreal will have an early power play.
The top unit was a little too creative in its minute, trying to pass when there were opportunities to just take the puck toward the net for shots.
Xhekaj makes a great play to not just pinch his man off along the boards, but get the puck and make the breakout.
Demidov’s confidence is growing. Another deke along the boards.
Carrier take a huge hit at centre ice from Wilson.
Matheson ends up spinning around in the defensive zone trying to finding a bouncing puck, and that allows it to get to the crease with two Capitals in the vicinity. The play ends with Caufield batting the puck past Dobeš as he tries to knock it away.
Anderson just misses far-side after a pass from behind the net from Gallagher.
Demidov is starting to do something amazing on each shift.
Andrew Mangiapane is able to move deep into the zone as Kaiden Guhle gets out of position. He takes a shot from the high slot that deflects off the stick of Dvorak and in for a 3-2 Capitals lead.
Dobeš goes to the bench with three minutes to play. That was way too early with just a one-goal game. Washington makes it 4-2 still with 2:39 to play.
Wilson makes it 5-2, and that’s very annoying.
Montreal will head to D.C. for Game 5 on Friday, trying to extend its season.