Washington Capitals seeks first series title against the Canadians in the first round – Hockey Writer – Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals learned its opponent in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs: the Montreal Canadiens. Washington entered the playoffs with a record of 50-21-9, becoming the best team in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Montreal won the last regular season game of 2024-25 with a 39-31-11 record this season, winning the last Universal Card at the Eastern Conference. Despite only one playoff meeting nearly two decades ago, the history of both franchises is still fascinating.

Washington and Montreal are enemies of the division

When Washington entered the NHL to start the 1974-75 season, the capital was placed in the Norris Division with the Canadians, the Los Angeles Kings, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. Washington missed eight seasons of the playoffs between 1974-75 and 1981-82, while the Canadian Dynasty lifted the Stanley Cup four times in a row from 1975-76. Montreal never lost the divisional game against Washington with an original 34-0-0 record.

With the NHL-WHL merger before the 1979-80 season, Washington moved into the Patrick division of the Clarence Campbell Conference with the Philadelphia Flyers, Atlanta Flames, New York Islanders and New York Rangers. In October 1979, Washington defeated Montreal 2-2. After defeating the Canadiens 3-1 in February 1980, the new decade brought new success to Washington, ending a 35-0-1 winning streak against the Capitals.

The NHL range readjust to the 1993-94 season established the Eastern and Western Conferences as we know today (From ‘NHL Try’93-94: Hockey: The league’s extensive restructuring includes playoff formats and conference titles – Los Angeles Times, April 1, 1993). While both are based on the East Coast, the two franchises have been in separate divisions for the past three decades. Washington and Montreal have won or split the season, each of the first nine campaigns.

Washington wins the 2024-25 season series

The Capitals ended the game with a 2-0-1 record against the Canadiens this season. On Halloween, Washington improved his 7-2-0 shooting percentage after defeating Montreal 6-3. On December 7, Tom Wilson scored two third-stage goals, beating the Canadians for the other capital. In his last meeting on January 10, Montreal won Nick Suzuki’s 13th goal with a 3-2 overtime victory.

Washington’s projected starting goalkeeper Charlie Lindgren is 1-0-0, with a goal of 2.19 target average (GAA) and a savings percentage (SV%) of .875. Substitute Logan Thompson scored 1-0-1 with 3.04 GAA and 0.899 SV% in two games. Thompson has not had a roster for the Mansion in the past two weeks due to an upper body injury. However, he resumed skating with the team.

Montreal’s starter Netminder Sam Montembeault made 31 saves with a failed effort toward Washington in December. A month later, Jacob Dobes stopped 15 shots in an overtime victory in Montreal. Cayden Primeau, currently in the Laval Rockets in the U.S. Hockey League, allowed six capital goals in late October, including Ovechkin’s fifth goal of his outstanding season.

Capitals won against the Canadians in Stanley Cup playoffs

Ovechkin skated in Washington and Montreal’s only playoff series in the 2009-10 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Capital Winger led Washington’s offensive efforts by scoring five goals and 10 points in a seven-game series in Montreal. Canadian forward Michael Cammalleri matched Ovechkin’s 10 points in seven games, while a 24-year-old Jaroslav Halak denied Washington with a savings percentage of 0.939% in six games. During the Montreal series, 22-year-old Carey Price also appeared in two games.

Related: Remember the Canadians’ 2010 Playoffs

In Game 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Canada’s forward Dominic Moore scored and gave Montreal a 2-0 lead in less than four minutes in the third quarter. Ovechkin has 2:16 left with Brooks Laich’s secondary assist. Ryan O’Byrne’s high-attitude free throw put Washington’s power play on the final 1:44 ice, but Halak stood in Montreal, disappointing Verizon Center’s more than 18,000 capital fans.

Each team will take a few days off before the playoffs begin after the regular season in Washington Thursday night. The same venue, now known as Capital One Arena, will host the first round between Washington and Montreal starting Monday, April 21.