It was Wednesday April 23, 2025 and Game 2 in Washington, where Canadiens hoped to battle back to even the series. It was a close game all throughout but at the end it turned into another night of frustration for the Habs.

Game 2 hurt not just because we lost, but it felt like the refs were leaning against us. After losing Game 1 to a classic overtime goal from Ovechkin, Habs fans were looking for a comeback. But what we got was a game full of some pretty iffy no-calls.

Like the missed cross-check on Cole Caufield in front of the net, in the 3rd period. Which Caufield was clearly frustrated about on his way back to the bench, and many other missed calls throughout the game.

But, to summarize this game other than the frustrating officiating, in the first period it was much better hockey for the Habs as they were more physical and they had some exciting chances. Then just over a minute into the second period, Christian Dvorak jumped on a loose puck in front of the net and put Montreal ahead 1-0. Fans were feeling hopeful, thinking the Canadiens might be finding their groove.

However, there was a change of pace with Connor McMichael quickly answering back for Washington, tying things up after bouncing a rebound off David Savard. Just a minute later, Dylan Strome scored, putting the Capitals in the lead. The second period was tough for Montreal, as Washington outshot them 18-8 and created a bunch of chances. The Canadiens went more than nine minutes without even getting a shot on goal.

Then after trailing 2-1 it was going to be a tense third period and Coach Martin St. Louis made no exceptions making the bold call to bench top scorer Patrik Laine, hoping to spark something. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. The Canadiens had chances, like a close miss from Jake Evans and a breakaway chance for Josh Anderson, but they couldn’t score. Logan Thompson was solid in net for Washington, making 14 of his 25 saves in that period. McMichael capped things off with an empty-net goal in the last moments to seal the 2-0 homestead series for the Caps.

Looking Ahead with the Canadiens now down 2–0 in the series, the Canadiens head back to Montreal for Game 3 on April 25, looking to regroup and get some energy from their home crowd to turn things around. It won’t be easy, but the heart of the Canadiens and their fans stays strong.