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.

Mayhem broke loose after the second period in Game 3 between the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens. As the Canadiens and Capitals headed for the dressing rooms after the horn, subtle bumps and shoves between both teams escalated into a fight on an empty bench.