Tuch Drives Capitals Past Canadiens
Montreal carried the play and generated the better looks, but Washington found enough finishing from across the lineup to win 5-4. The numbers back it up: the Canadiens owned expected goals 4.07 to 3.87 and a 56.2–43.8 edge in shot attempts share, yet the Capitals cashed their chances.
At the top, Alex Tuch was the difference-maker with two goals and three points, while Washington also got two of its five goals from depth players — real secondary help that mattered. For Montréal, Lane Hutson drove offense from the top pair with a goal and an assist, and the second line delivered as Josh Anderson scored twice and Alex Newhook added two helpers. The near-misses were loud: Newhook and Phillip Danault each rang iron on a night with two posts/crossbars.
In net, Charlie Lindgren’s work passed the eye test even with four against, while Jakub Dobes had a rough one. One-game read: Montreal out-chanced and lost; Washington scraped a win with depth and timely finish.
