Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals' legendary scorer, returned to Montreal's Bell Centre on Thursday night carrying a formidable reputation as one of the most dominant players ever to face the Canadiens. The 40-year-old Russian sniper has tallied 39 goals in 60 regular-season games against Montreal throughout his career, making this matchup particularly daunting for the home team.
Historic Achievement and Current Form
Ovechkin recently reached a monumental milestone in NHL history, becoming the first player ever to score 900 regular-season goals on November 5. Now in his 21st season after being selected first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft, the Capitals captain entered Thursday's game with 904 career goals and 16 points through 20 games this season.
After a relatively slow start to the campaign, Ovechkin had found his scoring touch just in time for the Montreal visit. He had scored in each of his last three games and found the net in four of his previous five contests, signaling that his legendary shot remains as dangerous as ever.
Playoff Memories Loom Large
This marks the first meeting between these teams since Washington eliminated Montreal in five games during the first round of last season's playoffs. Ovechkin tormented the Canadiens in that series too, scoring four goals across the five games, including an overtime winner in Game 1 that set the tone for Washington's victory.
Canadiens defenceman Alexandre Carrier acknowledged the challenge of containing the future Hall of Famer. "I don't know how long he's been playing... but the fact that he still plays and his shot - he can shoot from anywhere and score a goal," Carrier said after Thursday's morning skate. "So you got to know exactly where he is on the ice. His shot, definitely."
Team Context and Goalie Situation
The Canadiens entered the contest looking to snap a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) that had seen them slip to third place in the Atlantic Division with a 10-6-3 record. They trailed Detroit by two points and Boston by one point in the tightly contested division race.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis confirmed that Samuel Montembeault would start in goal despite his struggles this season. The netminder carried a 4-5-1 record with a 3.56 goals-against average and .858 save percentage into the game. Backup Jakub Dobes had posted stronger numbers at 6-1-2 with a 2.71 GAA and .898 save percentage, creating what St. Louis described as a developing competition for the starting role.
The Capitals arrived in Montreal with a 10-8-2 record, sitting fifth in the Metropolitan Division. They were coming off an impressive 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night where Tom Wilson scored twice and Ovechkin added another goal to his historic tally.
Washington has dominated recent regular-season meetings with Montreal, posting a 19-2-3 record in their last 24 matchups dating back to November 28, 2009. The Capitals went 2-0-1 against the Canadiens last season before their playoff triumph.
This game marks the first of three meetings between these teams this season, with subsequent matchups scheduled for January 13 in Washington and February 28 back at the Bell Centre.
