Two goalies injured, heated rivalry, and one incident marking a tough bench fight—what didn’t the NHL community witness on ice in Game 3 of the playoff series between the Washington Capitals and the Montreal Canadiens? Indeed a 6-3 win for the Habs, but alongside that, a fierce clash! Perhaps what was supposed to be just another charged playoff night between the two turned all eyes on the Gr8 one—Alex Ovechkin, making it very clear that something explosive was about to break loose! But what exactly?

Talk about locking horns! Yep, the one that started a scuffle between Tom Wilson and the Canadiens’ Josh Anderson and ended with chaos. While the opponents’ player tried to defend, the Capitals’ bench door pulled him straight, leading to both sides surging in! And what followed later was not just a mere misconduct on ice but something that the Capitals had to pay a hefty price for, setting the stage even hotter with Game 4 approaching soon.

Meanwhile, TVA Sports’ hockey reporter Renaud Lavoie took no time in dropping the bombshell on X. “The NHL told management of the Canadiens and the Capitals to be more careful during warmups, tv timeouts and after the end of a period. League didn’t like the incidents that happened during last game,” the post read. Well, a clear yet straightforward point was put forward by the league amidst the playoff series. After all, hadn’t it already been too much, like the clashes and battles?

Indeed, it had been one of the most intense playoff battles so far in the league. But this one led to many consequences. With the heated exchange between the two players that quickly spiraled while both players wrestled their way towards the Capitals’ bench, the scuffle only intensified, and boom—both Wilson and Anderson crashed down onto the bench floor! “Things escalated, got out of control there a little bit. And the end of the day, you’re just trying to stick up for your teammates,” Anderson stated later to the media.

And the aftermath? Well, not so pretty. With roughing minors to 10-minute misconducts, both the players received the penalties for their roles in the brawl. But hey, things didn’t stop there, obviously, with Alex Ovechkin and his team getting a final call from the league. What they cost—the actions of the two—was $5,000 each, fined on Saturday. Followed by another two players, Lars Eller and the Canadiens’ Arber Xhekaj, getting penalized too! But the ultimate loss still awaits.

Alex Ovechkin and his squad lose a tough one!

Well, the Capitals ended up facing a much bigger blow! While it wasn’t too late when Logan Thompson returned on ice and created glory for the great one’s team, stopping 25 shots and staggering 14 in the third period of Game 2, fate twisted. To say that his comeback from an upper-body injury was just short-lived, though the Caps desperately needed more of it! In fact, Spencer Carbery, too, couldn’t celebrate the joy and didn’t wait to express that–“These games, this is where he wants to play. He wanted to play in the playoffs.” But right then the disaster struck again, and Thompson was seen limping off the ice!

Indeed a tough pain for everyone to bear. And the heartbreak was immediate, which left fans and the NHL community demanding answers and accountability. After all, the young player had already battled through one major injury, and it was as if his comeback just awaited another. And for the Habs? Well, they had to go through the same loss as well. Because Sam Montembeault faced a hard collision too. Despite him trying to shake it all off, he couldn’t hide the discomfort that allowed the coaching staff to make the call.

Now, with much chaos and many hurdles, both the Caps and the Habs face a heavy blow amidst many penalties and misconducts. Especially with the game already spiraling with their ongoing rivalries. It put even pressure on both sides, meanwhile creating an uneasy situation while the teams moved ahead into the series. Not just revealing the fragility of teams, but constant fights that, too, in the heat of playoff series, are not just harming the internal strategies of the franchises but the very spirit of the game itself! For which the league faces questions and concerns over playoff hockey and reckless aggression on ice. Doesn’t it?