Canadiens cut Capitals' series lead to 2-1 with six-goal outburst

Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook recorded one goal and one assist each as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Washington Capitals 6-3 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series Friday night in Montreal.

The Capitals lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday in Montreal.

Defenseman Alexander Carrier, Nick Suzuki, Christian Dvorak and Juraj Slafkovsky also scored for the Canadiens. Sam Montembeault stopped 11 shots before leaving the game in the middle of the second period. Jakub Dobes made seven saves.

Connor McMichael, defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin tallied for Washington. Logan Thompson stopped 30 shots before he was injured on Slafkovsky's goal in the third period when teammate Dylan Strome ran into him. Thompson was replaced by Charlie Lindgren, who made four saves.

Ovechkin forged the game's final tie 2:39 into the second period on a one-time shot from the inside edge of the left circle off the rush. His third goal of the playoffs made it 3-3.

But Montreal reclaimed the lead 1:38 later when Dvorak's shot went in off the stick of Washington's Brandon Duhaime as Dumaine tried to block the shot. Slafkovsky made it 5-3 with 6:37 left when he tipped in a pass off the rush and Newhook added an insurance goal on the power play with 2:25 remaining.

Caufield gave Montreal a 3-2 lead with nine seconds left in the second period on a one-timer from just below the left circle.

Suzuki's power-play goal made it 2-1 Canadiens 8:37 into the second after a giveaway by Washington defenseman John Carlson. It took Chychrun just 36 seconds to re-tie the game.

Montembeault, who appeared to suffer a lower-body injury, was replaced by Dobes with 8:21 left in the second period and did not return.

Montreal forward Patrik Laine did not play due to an upper-body injury.

--Field Level Media