Capitals 3, Canadiens 2
MONTREAL -- Right winger T.J. Oshie scored twice to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night at the Bell Centre.
Right winger Tom Wilson also scored for Washington (18-5-1).
Left winger Lars Eller and center Brian Flynn connected for the Canadiens (19-5-3).
Goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 33 shots for the Capitals and remained unbeaten in regulation in nine career games against Montreal. Mike Condon made 16 saves.
The Capitals took advantage of a Canadiens turnover to get the scoring started. Left winger Brooks Laich picked off Montreal defenseman Nathan Beaulieu's clearing attempt and fed Wilson inside the left circle where he fired a quick shot to beat Condon at 2:26 of the first period.
Montreal dominated the second period, holding the Capitals to one shot for more than half of the frame. Its persistence paid off with Eller's seventh of the season tying the game at 1-1 at 12:08. After a strong shift by the second wave on a Canadiens power play, center Alex Galchenyuk walked along the right wall before skating into the circle for a pass to Eller at the goal line. Eller turned with the puck to face Holtby before poking it through his pads seconds after time expired on the man advantage.
Oshie restored Washington's lead at 19:16. Center Nicklas Backstrom carried the puck in before dishing off to Oshie in the right circle. The winger's shot rose up and with both sides crowding in Condon's crease unsure where the puck was, it dropped into the net. After review, it was determined it hit Condon's back before falling behind him.
The Canadiens' penalty kill evened the score at 2:30 of the third period. Shortly after Holtby denied left winger Paul Byron on a breakaway, he sent Flynn into the Capitals' zone where the center deked the Washington netminder for his third of the season.
It was the first short-handed goal the Capitals have allowed this year.
Oshie's second of the night put the visitors back on top at 8:17. Left winger Alex Ovechkin sent the puck along the left wall down to defenseman Karl Alzner at the point. Alzner fired a shot that caught deflected off Oshie and catching Condon by surprise.
NOTES: D Karl Alzner appeared in his 400th consecutive game for the Capitals, the third longest iron man streak in franchise history, the eighth longest streak by a defenseman in the NHL since 1943-44 and the sixth longest active consecutive games-played stretch in the NHL. ... Montreal kept the same lineup as Tuesday, leaving LW Daniel Carr and D Greg Pateryn as the healthy scratches. ... Washington scratched RW Stanislav Galiev and C Chris Brown. D Brooks Orpik missed his 10th straight game with a lower-body injury. ... The game was the first of three meetings between the Capitals and Canadiens this season, and Washington's only visit to the Bell Centre.