The Washington Capitals eliminated the Montreal Canadiens with a 4-1 win in Game 5 on Wednesday to secure their first series victory since the 2018 Stanley Cup Final.
Tom Wilson scored a power-play goal and added an assist, while Dylan Strome contributed two helpers to reach nine points in the playoffs.
The win marked Washington’s first series-clinching victory on home ice since 2015.
“It feels great, it feels awesome to do it on home ice,” Wilson told Sportsnet’s Shawn McKenzie postgame. “That was a heck of a battle. Some pretty crazy times throughout the series, a lot of fun. It just shows what a tight group we have. We’re excited to get it done.”
Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring with a power-play goal, his fourth of the series. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun found the net just over two minutes later with what became the game-winner.
Wilson praised Ovechkin’s performance after the game.
“He’s doing it all right now,” he said. “He’s been our MVP all season, so far he’s our MVP in the playoffs. Blocking shots, banging bodies, scoring goals. They don’t make them like him anymore. We’re lucky to have him.”
When asked about the series turning point, Ovechkin’s response was direct.
“Game 4. Third period. Tom Wilson,” Ovi said, per The Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson.
His comment referenced Wilson’s hit on Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier, which occurred just before Brandon Duhaime’s game-tying goal in Sunday’s victory.
Washington built a 3-0 lead through two periods Wednesday before Emil Heineman scored for Montreal early in the third. Duhaime sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stopped 28 of 29 shots in the clinching victory.
Rookie netminder Jakub Dobes made 24 saves for the Canadiens.
The series featured physical play throughout, resulting in $25,000 fines for both teams and a confrontation between Wilson and Josh Anderson that emptied the benches.
“You know what you’re gonna get out of them,” Wilson said. “Once I was able to kind of focus and dial it in – I think that’s why everybody loves the sport of hockey because there’s guys on both sides of the puck that are willing to do whatever they have to for their team.”
“We knew that they were gonna play kinda cheap and try and get us off our game. It got crazy at times, but that’s why hockey’s so fun.”
The Canadiens showed significant improvement this season after sitting last in the Eastern Conference on Dec. 1. This marked Montreal’s first playoff appearance since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged the Canadiens’ effort.
“To me, that wasn’t a 4-1 series. … They pushed us in every single one of those games,” he said, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.
Washington will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round. Carolina advanced by defeating the New Jersey Devils in five games on Tuesday.
The Capitals split their regular-season series with the Metropolitan Division rival Hurricanes, winning the final meeting 5-4 in a shootout on April 10.
Washington was eliminated from the 2023 playoffs in a first-round sweep by the New York Rangers.
