It’s incredible how much things can change in just 20 minutes, although it should never be a surprise when the Washington Capitals are playing.
Game 3: End of 2 - Montreal Canadiens 0, Washington Capitals 4
Series tied 1-1
What happened to the Canadiens in the second period shows exactly how game-changing a shorthanded goal can be. Boyd Gordon, with some great individual effort, bangs home a rebound to give the the Capitals an early 1-0 lead in the second period.
From there, it all fell apart. Brooks Laich and Eric Fehr scored to chase Jaroslave Halak, who looked shaken and yes, “rattled”, after the first two goals. Carey Price came on in relief, and subsequently was rocked by a monstrous Alex Ovechkin one-timer.
It’s 4-0 now headed into the 2nd intermission, and the game has completely unraveled for the Habs. The home team lost all emotional control, taking several bad penalties as well getting hit hard for going after the officials as well. The Capitals have now outscored the Habs 9-1 since the end of the second period of game 2.
The crowd is now a bit violent, the Habs have fallen apart and the Capitals are in complete control. Looking ahead to game 4.......
Game 3: End of 2 - Boston Bruins 1, Buffalo Sabres 1
Series tied 1-1
It’s a bit of a chess match tonight in Boston, with both goaltenders playing solid and the defenses not allowing much room. The highlight of the period was a rocking Johnny Boychuk hit on Matt Ellis; this was a clean one.