The Montreal Canadiens faced a significant setback during their 6-3 win over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Netminder Sam Montembeault exited midway through the second period with an apparent lower-body injury, forcing rookie Jakub Dobes to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens NHL game to be played on April 27, 2025 on ESPN.

The late second-period melee began when Wilson hit Jake Evans, sparking retaliation from Ivan Demidov. Xhekaj and Wilson then tried to engage but were separated by officials. Moments later, Josh Anderson fought Wilson at the Capitals’ bench, leading to game misconducts and additional roughing penalties.

Washington Capitals' Tom Wilson and Montreal Canadiens' Josh Anderson got into a period-ending brawl on a team bench that sparked more fights during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.