Spencer Carbery knows the big shots in his squad are all individually capable of leading Washington to a roaring victory even when things seem bleak. Maybe that’s why, coming into the 2025 playoffs, the Capitals’ coach was brimming with confidence, despite not really ending the regular season on a high note. “A team that is playing well, is riding high, is always a confident team,” Carbery told The Washington Post before the postseason began. And things did start off pretty well. But Alex Ovechkin and Co. have been dealt their first blow by the Canadiens, and the coach isn’t amused.

In Game 3 of the seven-match series against the Montreal Canadiens tonight at the Bell Centre, Ovechkin found the opponent’s net yet again. With that, the Russian extended his postseason stats to 75 career goals. However, that wasn’t enough to save the day, as the Caps fell to the Habs 6-3.

Monumental Sports Network, the owner conglomerate of the Capitals, went on YouTube shortly after the defeat on April 25 to share Coach Carbery’s reactions. In the post-game presser, when the coach was asked if Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the team were a little too casual on the ice tonight, Spencer didn’t beat around the bush and admitted that it was a fair allegation. “I thought we weren’t very good with the puck, so I think it’s firmness. I think it’s a little bit of nerves,” Spencer went on.

“I think it’s a little bit of poise in that environment. Whether you’re on the wall, whether you’re through the neutral zone and the offensive zone, coughed up a lot of pucks in a lot of different areas,” Ovechkin’s boss further said on how his team wasn’t on par with the Canadiens. And he was spot on, really. Montreal posted much better stats in almost every area to dominate Alex and the Caps. From shots (Washington 21, Montreal 40) and hits (Caps 26, Habs 45) to having better faceoff percentages, the Canadiens were the better team all around. “You’ve got to be stronger in that situation,” Carbery grumbled. Maybe Spencer’s speculation that the environment of the Bell Centre is too intense to handle for Alex Ovechkin and his teammates wasn’t really baseless.

After all, the atmosphere at the Bell Centre was absolutely electric. But you couldn’t imagine a veteran like Alex Ovechkin or Jakob Chychrun being alien to large fans after so many years in the NHL. That being said, it was anything but just another day at the office for the team. A brawl broke out between the Capitals’ Tom Wilson and the Canadiens’ Josh Anderson just when the players were leaving the ice at the end of the second period. What’s more? The fisticuffs happened in a rather bizarre place: at Washington’s bench. Again, part of the reason why it took place could be how the Bell Centre is unique in its own right, considering how it doesn’t offer the visiting team the luxury of a separate tunnel, thus exposing them to serious trash talk from the home side during periods of long changes.

But Fans could hardly believe their eyes! Perhaps it was that which caused the Caps to lose their footing and let the match slip from their grasp. But Spencer isn’t one to dabble in the past. “I mean, we’ve shown better all year long, and we just weren’t very good tonight. So we’ll regroup and get ready for game four,” he assured that the “Gr8” Alex Ovechkin and co. will be back in his natural habitat with the rest of the squad before we know it. But recent days haven’t been the best for the Caps. So a little skepticism on the fans’ part isn’t unfounded either.

Alex Ovechkin can lead the comeback after a rough end to the regular season

With a formidable 51-22-9 record and 111 points, Washington finished the regular season with its head held high. Spencer’s boys also secured the top seed in the Metropolitan Division and made it to the playoffs for the ninth time in the last ten seasons. A remarkable achievement, no doubt. The jubilation was only made sweeter by the seminal achievement that the Caps’ captain, Alex Ovechkin, pulled off during the final stretches of the 2024-25 season. Scoring his 895th career goal in a match against the Islanders on April 5, Ovie smashed through the “Great One” Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record and became the NHL’s all-time highest goal scorer, forever sealing his spot in the history books.

It was indeed a milestone moment for the hockey community, and for all the right reasons! But it also seemed like the point when the Caps decided to enjoy the ride for a while, having already qualified for the playoffs on March 20. In their final few matches, Washington took some hefty beatings, including a stunning 7-0 loss to the Blue Jackets. Needless to say, the Caps nation was livid. And yet, controversy didn’t seem to let go of Spencer’s boys even tonight when the Bell Centre erupted as Wilson and Anderson lunged at each other.

Thankfully, though, the Caps started off the postseason with gusto. Two back-to-back wins at home to begin the quest for their second Stanley Cup, Ovechkin and the rest of the squad looked firmly in control of things. The Russian even managed to record his first playoff overtime goal in game one to give the Caps the 3-2 victory. On top of that, he was an absolute tank, racking up a team-high seven hits, one of which flattened an unsuspecting Cole Caufield. Tom Wilson couldn’t help but call the veteran a “beast” and a “machine.” That’s why even though his goal in Game 3 wasn’t enough to give the Caps a 3-0 lead, there’s no reason to think he won’t do something extraordinary come Game 4. That being said, the Canadiens surely think that things are finally starting to go their way.

“I still can’t believe it. It’s surreal,” the Habs’ rookie defenceman Lane Hutson said. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this. Our fan base has been waiting, us players have been waiting. It’s been a few tough years,” Josh Anderson couldn’t tame his emotions, especially after his altercation with Tom Wilson today. With Montreal feeling like a million bucks after tonight’s win, who do you suspect will take the next round? Can Alex Ovechkin make his 2024-25 season even better with a double milestone? Tell us your thoughts in a comment!