Canadiens Lose In OT To The Caps After Blowing 2-Goal Lead In The 3rd Period
The Montreal Canadiens started Tuesday’s game with two solid periods where they had a 2-0 lead, but they blew it during the 3rd period before losing 3-2 in overtime to the Washington Capitals. The reality of the situation seemed like the Habs ran out of gas after arriving in Washington at 3:00 am ET on Tuesday morning. Despite the loss, goaltender Samuel Montembeault played arguably his best game, but he didn’t get much help from his tired teammates late in the 3rd period.
The #Habs lose to the Capitals 3–2 in overtime.
Montembault was stellar.
Thoughts ?
Les Canadiens de Montréal se sont inclinés 3 à 2 en prolongation face aux Capitals.
Prochain match : Canadiens @ Sabres
15 janvier à 19 h#gohabsgo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/n4gyecTW8Y— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) January 14, 2026
The fact that the Habs were able to get a point from this game considering the circumstances of playing a back-to-back where they had to head on the road late on Monday night after a game on home ice is impressive. Unfortunately, it included them blowing a 2-0 lead in the process, which makes it a very disappointing loss. Entering the 3rd period, the Canadiens had all the momentum, but the players had no gas left in them for the final 20 minutes of regulation and the overtime period. With that being said, it could have been worse had it not been for Montembeault, who made big saves late in regulation.
Most saves by a Canadiens goalie this season:
40 — Sam Montembeault vs Caps (3 GA)
38 — Sam Montembeault vs Flyers (4 GA)
36 — Jacob Fowler vs Pens (2 GA)
36 — Jakub Dobes vs Flames (1 GA) pic.twitter.com/DTfjUtZJFz— William Dubé (@williamdube_) January 14, 2026
While fatigue was an issue late in the game, the Canadiens had a chance to put the game away with a 5-on-3 power play late in the 2nd period. They have struggled all season long with the 5-on-3, and their only goals in that situation came off a rebound or a deke. Despite this, the Habs’ first instinct is to look for the perfect play that is never available.
Montréal legitimately has the worst 5-on-3 in the entire league.
They have two options they constantly try to force and it’s not hard to predict at all.
— Stuart Murray (@HabsCollective) January 14, 2026
Considering the struggles they are having in that situation and the power play in general as of late, the Canadiens should focus less on trying to pass it around and instead try getting the puck on net for a rebound or possibly use a screen to get a goal like they did at 5-on-4 during their only man advantage on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks. The Habs went 0-for-4 and have now scored on just 3 of their last 30 power plays over the last 10 games.
The Habs changed the manpower on their top unit, switching Ivan Demidov out for Alexandre Texier and Lane Hutson out for Noah Dobson; however, Tuesday showed it may not be the guys on the ice that were the problem but more so the game plan of looking for the best possible shot. It could be time soon that head coach Martin St. Louis hires someone to help with the power play so someone can focus on fixing the struggling man advantage.
WELCOME BACK JOSH ANDERSON!! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ME35kjkfMu
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 14, 2026
On top of Montembeault being fresh for Tuesday’s game, the Habs also got Josh Anderson back in the lineup. Anderson made his return noticeable very early on when he zoomed down the ice on the penalty kill after stripping Capitals rookie Ryan Leonard of the puck and proceeded to go down the ice to open the scoring on a 2-on-1 shorthanded with Phillip Danault. With that goal, Anderson became the 7th Hab to reach double digits in goals. Among the skaters for the Habs, it was obvious that he didn’t play the night before, as he looked much fresher than anyone else in the lineup.
Zack Bolduc worked hard along the boards for this Brendan Gallagher goal.
This was Bolduc’s first point in 10 games.
He’s looked engaged in the game tonight. pic.twitter.com/xahmXHO1Bq
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 14, 2026
Still, the Canadiens played a solid low-event game during the first two periods, while Montembeault stood on his head to keep the Capitals off the scoreboard. The Habs would double their lead in the 2nd period when Danault found a wide-open Brendan Gallagher in the slot, where he was able to put a wrister past Logan Thompson to make it a 2-0 game. If anyone needed that goal, it was Gallagher, who has been getting criticized a lot lately for his lack of speed in the media, including from myself. He was able to keep those who wanted him to sit out Tuesday’s game quiet with that goal. It also helped him that the majority of the Habs looked pretty slow in comparison to how they usually play.
Dylan McIlrath lays a BIG hit on Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj comes FLYING in to take exception 😳👊 pic.twitter.com/UBH7G85Fr1
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 14, 2026
Later in the 2nd period, Jayden Struble would get hit by Dylan McIlrath and fall awkwardly into the boards, which got Arber Xhekaj to go after McIlrath for a fight. He didn’t really get any big shots on the Capitals defenseman until the end of it when he got him with 2 good punches. However, Xhekaj would get an extra 2-minute penalty for instigating. Luckily, the Capitals’ power play was really struggling, and nothing came of it, but it’s very likely that the fight could have given the Capitals some life, or if it wasn’t that, it’s likely killing off the 5-on-3 at the end of the 2nd period.
In the 3rd period, it was all Capitals as they peppered the Habs with pressure the entire period. Montembeault did a good job holding them off and made some amazing saves.
Matt Roy/Ethen Frank cuts Montreal’s lead to 1.
2-1 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/JzonqXHESn
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 14, 2026
Unfortunately the shutout wouldn’t last, as Matt Roy would redirect a shot off Ethan Frank and into the net to get the Capitals on the board with 14:54 left in regulation.
Ethen Frank with his second of the game to make it a 2-2 game with under 2 minutes left 😲 pic.twitter.com/kdPdHS065x
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 14, 2026
Following that, the Habs continued to play like they had no energy left in the tank, but thanks to Montembeault, they were able to keep their 2-1 lead until very late into the 3rd period. The Capitals would pull Thompson for the extra attacker, which led to Rasmus Sandin shooting a puck towards the net for Frank to tip and tie the game with his 2nd of the night to force overtime. Frank now has 6 points in 2 games against the Habs this season.
In overtime, Nick Suzuki, who had a really tough end of the game, would take a holding penalty. During the 4-on-3 Capitals man advantage, the Habs were able to kill it off thanks to key stops by Montembeault and a big shot block by Alexandre Carrier. The Habs would kill all 5 of their penalties on the night, as they were able to be successful in one area of special teams.
CONNOR MCMICHAEL BANGS IT HOME IN OT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/YuFoxfp6Pt
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) January 14, 2026
Unfortunately, even after the penalty kill, the Habs weren’t able to get any energy to create anything, which would lead to Connor McMichael jamming home a rebound from a Dylan Strome shot to win the game in overtime as the Capitals came from 2-0 down in the 3rd period to steal the game in OT.
At the end of the night, the Canadiens didn’t deserve to win with just how badly they were dominated in the final 24 minutes of the game, and had it not been for Montembeault, maybe it wouldn’t have even gotten to overtime. It’s just disappointing, as Montembeault deserved a better result from the game on Tuesday. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the Montembeault from last year is officially back.
The Habs will have until Thursday to recharge and get ready to take on the Buffalo Sabres on the road at 7:00 pm ET. The Sabres are red-hot as of late having won 12 of their last 14 games. However, they will be playing the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, so the Habs will possibly be playing a team on a back-to-back, which could be of great help for them to come out and put Tuesday’s game behind them.
